


I hate you. Love you too.

by SomebodyWhoLovesMe



Series: I hate you. Love you too. [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Beta Wanted, F/M, Female Tony Stark, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Major character death - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Time Travel, Toni wins, Up all night to get Bucky, Why Did I Write This?, howards drunk, i apologize for this plot or lack of plot, i feel terrible so i'll just write and maybe my emotions with fly away, i should probably get up, sorry bout that, that is the best tag ever, timetravel messes up the timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-08 20:57:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10395933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomebodyWhoLovesMe/pseuds/SomebodyWhoLovesMe
Summary: Antonia 'Toni' Starks life has been thoroughly documented. Her loving family, her genius from a young age, her mysterious boyfriend and most importantly the fact she went missing at age 8 only to reappear around age 20. Well, except for the last part. No one knows anything about that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I posted this on Wattpad first, go look over there if you'd like, it's got the same name. I had this story bouncing around my mind for a while, and I really like the way it turned out, and even though it's not finished, it's one of my favorites.
> 
> EDITED: Reread, and found lots of spelling mistakes, I've gotten through Chapter 4, if you find any other mistakes tell me!
> 
> I've been trying to get in touch with user EQfan74, if you know them or can contact them, please send them my way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

"May 30, 1990, New York Times by Maggie Hernan

New Stark Heir Born!

Last night at Mercy General Hospital Maria Stark had her first child with husband, Howard Stark. We have no official reports but it appears to be a girl named Antonia Edith Stark. There aren't any pictures of mom or baby but we hope they're both doing well."

"Howard?" Maria called from her hospital room

"Yes, dear?" Howard had been outside smoking a pack, getting dirty looks from the nurse's and ignoring them

"Give her to me please?"

"Of course dear"

Every time Howard had doubts about his potential as a father he took one look at her or took one minute to hold his baby girl, and he was flooded with adrenaline. Adrenaline pumping to keep him from screwing up.

She was yet to open her eyes, but he knew they were brown just like his. She looked just like him.

"She's beautiful," Maria said to no one in particular as Howard gently set the sleeping baby into his wife's arms. 

"Of course she is. She's a Stark. She's beautiful and smart and ready to take on the world"

"But first ready to feed" Maria remarks when Antonia stirs

"She'll want a nickname Maria" Howard says

"Why do you think?"

"Antonia is a gorgeous name but can be a mouthful for a toddler, we should get something short and then when she's in trouble we'll say Antonia and she'll know we mean business."

Maria giggles "You think too much"

"Well, let's call her Ann" Howard suggests

"No. She's not Ann. She'd hate that. Let's call her Toni"

Toni Stark's happiest, simplest years were the ones she can't remember. From the time she was born to the time she was about 4 years old, she had everything she ever wanted. Her parents loved her and each other and life was good. She was extraordinary at studies and was talking much faster than normal. Her father did a good job of keeping her out of the press, though. It all came crashing down on September 15th, 1994.

"September 15th, 1994 Golden Globe 

Stark Cheating Scandal?

By Julia Farcry

A scandal broke earlier this morning that not only had Howard Stark been sued for sexual harassment but his wife(Maria Stark) filed for divorce due to unfaithfulness. This comes just as the Stark Expo starts up, and we're still waiting to see if this encourages or discourages ticket sales."

"Is it true?" Maria asked standing in her husband's office at 7 in the morning

"Maria" Howard starts

"Don't" Maria scoffs "I filed already, the press will have gotten word by lunch. It's over Howard, I'm leaving and taking Toni"

The four-year who was in the corner playing looks up at her name. She realized this is an important adult conversation but wouldn't process it until she was about 16.

"Like hell, you will" Howard spits,"No court in the USA will award you custody, at all. You never see her again. Good luck finding a new rich husband when you've been label as the whore who wasn't good enough for Howard Stark. If you leave it's over. Stay."

She looks at him her eyes burning, her mouth twisted into a vile frown, "You are the most twisted vile man I've ever met. I hate you" Maria said turning on her heel, scooping Toni up in a one swift reach. The toddler tried to wave goodbye to her father but he wouldn't wave back.

"Love you too!" Stark called tauntingly after the woman.

After that Maria Stark became something other than a wife, even though that's what it'd say on her gravestone. She didn't want to talk to, sleep next to, eat next to or even be next to Howard Stark unless absolutely necessary. Howard constantly begged her to come back and stop making a scene but it only drove her away. The press noticed the distance between the two and others theorized about the sudden cancellation of divorce on Maria's part, blackmail, threats things of that sort were common. That doesn't matter because the important thing is that Toni noticed how distanced her parents were too.

"February 6th, 1997 

New York Bulletin

Louis Graven

New Genius Stark?

Everyone knows about the genius Howard Stark has. However, in recent events, it's been shown his young daughter Antonia shares more than looks with him. She is competing in the International Stark Science competition at grade 9 level. Some complained it was cheating because she was a Stark, Miss Stark herself responded to those claims saying "Maybe if you weren't so busy looking at my name and my project you'd find time to actually make yours work." It appears this young engineer shares quite a bit of traits with her father. "

"Dad?" Toni walks tentatively into the workshop where her father had been for the past week

"I'm busy Antonia. Go play, didn't Jarvis get you those new dolls?"

"Oh yes, I loved them. Thank you so much. but I wanted to tell you something"

"Well, spit it out!" The inventor yelled dropping his tools on the metal table making a loud clang, startling Toni.

"I won the International Stark Science Convention."

"Of course you did, of course, " he said, not in the tone that meant, of course, you did you're extremely smart and I never had a doubt you'd win but in a way that meant, of course, you did what did you think would happen

"What do you mean?"

"You're a Stark. It's a Stark competition. Of course, you won, the judges were only counting on if you spelled your name right. Litterally." He chuckled at his own joke, before returning to his scraps. 

Toni stood there a moment, mourning the loss of her achievement. Jarvis had gotten her a cake earlier that afternoon that spelled out "Congrats Toni!" in red frosting. She couldn't help but imagine what it might taste like. She has to take it back though because she of course, didn't win. Not really.

She regained her composure after that momentary lapse

"I know, of course, I would win, I just wanted to tell you."

"Well, good now you may go." he said not looking up

"Of course"

She remembered the scene from when she was four

"I hate you!"

"Love you too!"

She couldn't have said it any better herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So you should know I'm bending time and space a little here. You'll understand what I'm saying later but the timeline in this really won't add up but just go with it. Hugs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

July 4th, 1999

The Daily Gazette

Cooper Thorn

This morning someone in the Stark Residence reported a missing child to the NYPD and FBI, it is assumed this child is genius daughter Toni Stark. There have been no reported sightings of the child and our thoughts are with her family."

Toni had gotten home late the night before. She's just gotten back from a memorial service for Captain America. It was a day early because everyone wanted to celebrate the fourth of July the next day and Howard was furious no one else was as committed to honoring the patriot. She hated when he was angry.

"Goddamn them," He said

 

"Howard" 

"What!" He slurred. Not obvious unless you were looking for it but ever present was his drunkenness. He had a bead of sweat even though it was a cool night, his eyes closed for too long during blinks and the most obvious was his speech. Slow and slurred. It didn't take a genius to pick up on this but Toni wondered to herself when he found time to drink this much anyways. 

"Sir, we're here," said the driver in a monotone voice

"About time" the man grumbled and tripped his way out of the car "I'll be in my lab,"

Maria quietly stood up took her purse and walked to the door, as if she were asleep.

"Frank?" Toni asked quietly

"Miss Stark?" the driver responded

"How Julie?" the young girl asked

"Much better, she'll be back in school by Tuesday" the man smiled

"Good. Tell her I say hi"

"Always."

Toni jumped from the car and skipped up the stairs. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, miss?"

"Would you join me in my lab" she smiled

"Love to, I'll be there in a few minutes your father has requested me."

Toni frowned. Howard hadn't bothered with Jarvis in years.

"Do you know why?"

"I haven't the slightest, but I'll be back shortly I promise"

They parted, both going to a workshop.

Howard's was mostly neat and orderly with a little mess mixed it. Toni's was the opposite. Scraps were strewn everywhere, half done abandoned projects stayed in the corner till Toni got around to them again. The only orderly part was one of her desks where she had schematics planned for a tower she wanted to build.

"Ok" Toni grinned as she got to work on her latest project which she'd found outside her father's workshop in the scrap pile. She asked a while ago if she could use anything she found in the scrap pile and now it supplied most of her imagination. It was a small metal box a little shorter than her and one side was covered completely with buttons and wire. It resembles a large oven in her opinion. However, that was not what was on her mind instead, she had been thinking about Captain America all day. She of course immediately formed a crush on him but she more like that fact he started so small. Always been a sucker for a comeuppance story. She even brought around a small Captain America doll.

"ANTONIA!" she heard a drunken voice call from the staircase, "Mister Stark?" the crisp British man followed "I don't think-"

"ANTONIA!"

Without thinking she grabbed the doll she had in her hands and shut herself inside the box she'd been working on. 

Inside there was a single light from a loose wire, it glowed red on the inside of the box making everything in there with her glow red. 

"Antonia" Howard grumbled "Get out here! You stole something from me!"

"Mister Stark I'm sure there was an accident. Miss Stark would never purposefully take one of your active projects."

"Well, it wasn't you, it wasn't Maria and the rest of the staff doesn't have clearance into my lab. So that leave her!"

"What does it look like?"

"It's a box, made of metal there's a circuit board I was working on when it went missing"

Toni gulped, he must have accidentally put it in his scrap pile while drunk or cleaning. 

Not that he'd admit it.

"Here it is!" Howard yelled "That stupid kid!" he must have seen a piece of cloth or hair that had been shut on in Toni's rush to hide because he exclaimed, "She's in the box!"

"Well then let's get her out!"

"I'll get her out, " Howard said, he grabbed it by the side and shook it with all his might, not that the 50 lbs. of metal and 80 lbs. of girl was heavy.

*Pop Zippppp Wheeeeeew Click*

"Crap"

That was the last thing Toni heard before the world went dark

July 19th, 1999

Kaley Medsin

Buffalo News

There have still been no sightings of the young Toni Stark, ever since a missing child report was made and taken down in the span of 2 hours the authorities have been suspicious of the situation. "It's not like Stark to keep her out of the limelight. He's hiding something." an anonymous source reports."

Toni woke up inside the box. The Captain America doll had fallen out of her hand and onto the cold metal floor of the box.

"Dad?" she said timidly

"I'm sorry. I found this in the scrap pile so I thought I could, y'know work on it. But if you want it back that's fine."

No response.

She pushed the door open slightly. 

Outside the door was fresh green grass.

"Uh oh. Did he move me?" 

Toni grabs the doll from the floor and steps out of the box completely. Tucks the doll into her back pocket and looks at her new surroundings.

It looked like something out of an old movie. All the buildings in the distance were made of stone, no glassy sleek ones. She recognized some of the skylines she could see. 

Ok deep breaths. It appears she was on a farm. There was a rusted tracker, rows of fine dirt and hay bales behind her. So assuming this wasn't some company farm, which it didn't look like, there would be a house on the farm. She needed to find the house.

And way down the rows, of dirt, there was, sure enough, an old white house. 

She walked down the street following the dirt road, a car drove down the street as she went. It appeared to be a Ford. Possibly the very first Ford ever driven. It once again was ancient right out of The Great Gatsby. 

Just focus on the house for now. 

She finally reaches the house and as she knocks a woman answers 

"What ya doing up here so early son?" The woman asks in an accented voice. Toni couldn't quite place the accent though.

"I think I'm lost M'am", Toni says trying to look sheepish, and succeeding because she was.

The woman smiled "Well, come right in! The boys will be done soon and come in for lunch, you join them."

Toni hesitated. Thinking back to 'stranger danger'. She didn't think that it applied here.

"What's your name?"

"Antonia" she answered, mostly she introduced herself as Antonia to adults.

"Oh, well what are you doing wearing boys clothing!" She cried "You can thank your lucky stars, my niece, Juliana just visited or you'd have to stay in those trousers!"

Well, this isn't good

"Um ma'am"

"Call me Mrs. Trent"

"Mrs. Trent, do you know the date by any chance?"

"Sure! Most patriotic day of the year it's July 4th, 1927!"

All Toni could think was how she should have seen that coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, I haven't really bent time yet except I made Toni younger, for obvious reasons. But just you wait and you'll see how much the timeline gets screwed.
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

July 4th, 1927

Eugene Fitzsimmons

" The first airplane manufactured, made its inaugural flight, with Eddie Belande taking the plane up from Mines Field in Los Angeles."

That was the headline of the day's paper. It was sitting on the dining room table with a cup of tea. She was given a light yellow dress to change into. She hated it. She, of course, didn't say that.

"You can help yourself to the tea, funny. Don't bother with the paper Mr. Trent left it out so Oliver could practice reading."

"Thank you."

"Now what were you doing wandering about with trousers?" Mrs. Trent asked curiously

"I don't know."

"What do you know?"

"My names Toni-Antonia I mean. Antonia Stark." She catches herself too late. Wonders if her dad was already famous.

"Toni huh?" Smiles Mrs.Trent

"My dad always tells me to introduce myself like that, not with my nickname."

"Well, I like Toni better. Though, if you'd said your name was Toni you'd still be wearing trousers that's for sure!"

"Ma?" a deep voice asked

"Ollie c'mere I have a visitor."

Toni sadly have not recently brushed up on 1920's etiquette. She wouldn't know whether to curtsy or make a spit handshake.

"What'r you doing about here?"

She pauses looking the tall boy who just walked in. He doesn't look a thing like his mom. Maybe his dad. He has dark brown curls falling framing his face, his green eyes stick out calling to attention his natural Irish look. Irish. Of course, that was her accent. The woman's red hair and subtle accents should have tipped Toni off but she was preoccupied. He looked to be about 16.

"I'm lost."

He scoffs "It's pretty damn hard to get lost around her"

"Oliver! Language!"

"Sorry ma," he says as he puts his hat on the table "Johnny and Liam will be in soon."

"Good," they both silently settled down, him at the table her at the counter, bringing him food. She gave Toni and similar plate.

They ate in silently not awkwardly but in a way, there wasn't much to say.

"Olli! Ma?" a much more high pitched voice came from the same hallway

"Yes dears come here we've got a visitor!"

"Really? Oh boy!" The two kids who came out of the hallway might'be been twins if it wasn't for the major height difference. Both with straight orange hair, blue eyes and a healthy helping of freckles. The taller one spoke first

"I'm Liam! This is my brother Johnny. He's 4 but I'm 7!"

"I'm 9"

"Really?" the oldest brother speaks up, "I thought you were older"

Toni smiles" I'm Toni Stark"

"Where'd you come from?"

"Um. the city"

"Why'r ya here?"

"I got lost"

"How-"

"Don't scare the poor girl Liam"

"Kay Mom. Can she stay?"

"Well, I'm sure she'll need to get back to her family. I'll give you a ride into the city in an hour I've got some things to pick up anyway."

"Thanks", Toni said inwardly panicking. She had no family in the city. At least none she wanted to see. She did know one person who was living there. Even if he didn't know her.

July 4th, 1927

Eugene Fitzsimmons

"The first airplane manufactured, made its inaugural flight, with Eddie Belande taking the plane up from Mines Field in Los Angeles."

Steve was reading the paper, in an alleyway. Trying to anyway.

"Manu-frac" he sighed. Bucky was helping his mom that morning and walking around was boring even though he'd found a newspaper lying around, he still couldn't read very well/.

"Hey, Rogers. Where's your boyfriend?"

"Hanging out with your mom. We've been having issues. I'm a little jealous but trust is important in a relationship"

The man grunts and walks towards Steve. It wasn't even a very good comeback. Oh well.

"What'd you say, Rogers?" He said throwing the first punch, Rogers half dodging it. Wondering if Bucky's be around the corner.

"Hey, ass hat"

Well, that's just crazy. He wished for Bucky and there he was- wait, that's not Bucky

"Get outta here dame"

"Ladies first"

He grunts and went towards the girl who couldn't have been older than 11 Steve tried to get up and protect her but she sidestepped. Tripped him and kicked him till he stopped trying to get up.

"You need help?" She looked to him calculating

"Nah, I think I've got it covered" She smirked

"Whats your name?"

"Steve Rogers"

"Antonia- I mean Toni Stark"

"Steve!?" A worried Bucky called from down the street

"Buck!" he said calling down to the end of the alley.

"I heard Foster was provoking you, so I ran down to save your ass, and whaddayaknow you got him. First time for everything"

Toni smiled at Steve, he knew she wouldn't say anything if he took credit. Not like Foster would admit to being beaten up by a girl

"Actually she saved my this time"

Bucky's eyes shot to Toni as if noticing her for the first time

"This is Antonia- I mean Toni Stark"

"Hilarious Rogers. Don't call me Antonia."

Bucky grinned "Okey Dokie Ann."

"Ugh"

"Where are you staying?"

"Nowhere. My parent is gone. I was gonna find...something, I was gonna find a girls home but I took pity on your sorry ass."

They chuckled and Steve pouted, "Come stay with me, my sister just got married, we've got an extra bed" Bucky suggested

"Are you kidding? Rebecca will skin you alive. Your mom's got enough work with the 3 of you, I don't have any siblings, stay with me." Steve says

"You starting to sound like her you know" Bucky says, shaking his head

"I take that as a compliment."

"You would. Well, how bout it?"

"Sure." Toni smiles. Now she just needs to get back to 1999. Back the future. Awesome.

Toni, Bucky, and Steve hung out till dusk, walking making jokes, "I've got 2 bucks we could see a movie if you want"

Toni suddenly remembered all the money she'd been given the night she'd time traveled. She was an official charity collector. She probably had $5000, which was a lot more in the 20's.

She instinctively put her hand in her pocket, grabbed the wrong one and the Captain America doll fell out.

"What's this?" Bucky said reaching down "What the-is this a doll?"

"It was my mothers," she said snatching it. Not untrue.

"Let's see what's playing," Steve said knowingly, they's assumed her parents were dead and he didn't want to draw attention to the fact.

They saw some random old movie, well technically it wasn't old. It was in black in white, though. She didn't remember the name.

"What a rip-off," Bucky said kicking a can on the street

"It was fine Buck"

"I liked it," Toni said quietly.

Bucky smiled "Well, my ma's gonna have a fit if I'm not back soon, enjoy your stay at Rogers Inn."

"Your just jealous"

"Duh"

Steve's house wasn't far from the theater. It was small and shabby but homey. The opposite of her own.

"Ma" Steve called from the front door.

"Stevie? Did ya find Bucky?" A sweet voice called from inside the house

"Yeah I'll tell you about it in a sec, I want you to meet somebody"

"Well, come in!'

Toni walked down the narrow hallway, there was no mudroom and Steve just dumped his jacket on the table. She did the same with hers.

She would need a backstory, as to why she was alone and had no money. Well, she couldn't show anyone the money she had. So if anyone asked she had none. Her parents had died, she decided. How? How did people die in the 20's? Her dad in a factory accident, her mom during childbirth? That didn't make sense. Her dad in a factory accident her mom from pneumonia. She spent her inheritance on a funeral and a train ticket to the city. Ok.

"Who's this Stevie?" who must have been Sarah Rogers. She had light blond hair, pale skin without any acne in sight, only laugh lines painted her face.

"Toni Stark." She said

"Toni. Nice to meet you. Where are your parents?" she asked, not suspiciously but as if she had a theory

"Gone" Toni said looking down

"Toni needs a place to stay, and Bucky's house is full so I offered"

Mrs. Rogers smiled "Of course, but how'd you two run into each other"

"Steve was in an alleyway getting hit up on"

Mrs. Rogers laughed

"It was Foster. He was just hittin' me and Toni shows up and says this one liner. He tells her to go away and she says 'Ladies first!'! To Foster! He comes at her and she just trips him!"

Sarah's eyes shone "It takes a tough girl to do that, but really Steve? Fightin' again?"

"Sorry mom"

"Anyway Toni you can stay as long as you want, schools starts up in a few months and a smart girl like you shouldn't miss a day."

"Thanks, Mrs. Rogers"

"Sarah"

"Thanks, Sarah."

 

Toni stayed with the Rogers for 14 years. If I went through every day this story would be about 100 chapters long. So I'll just include the highlights

 

1927

-Toni loves 1920's school, she's already a genius but before she never had anyone to compete with and Bucky gives her a run for her money. 

-Toni doesn't like 1920's release, she wants to play baseball, the boys won't let her the other girls don't like her. Only one of them will talk to her.

"Why do you wanna play with them so bad?" a girl with short black braids asked Toni as she watched the game.

"I don't know. I like baseball."

"I want to play too."

"Well, why didn't you say that when I asked to?" Toni turned to look at the girl.

"I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"That they'd say no"

"Well if that's your greatest fear you'll have a problem"

The girl laughs

"My name's Penny."

"Toni"

"That's a strange name"

"I'm a strange person"

"Fair enough"

-Bucky eventually convinced the guys to let Toni play. Toni invited Penny and then they played every day, some other girls joined too.

 

1931

-Toni turned 13 after before Steve and after Bucky. Bucky was about a year older than both of them. 

"Tones?" 

That's what woke Toni up that morning, Steve calling her nickname.

"Wha- what?'

"Happy Birthday!"

She opened her eyes to Bucky, Steve and Sarah holding a small cake.

"Guys!" she smiled broadly. She knew they shouldn't have spent the money on it but she'd make up for it with her secret stash of cash.

1936

-There were whispers of war all over the place. Toni felt so guilty and conflicted. But then what could she do, if she stopped Pearl Habor America might not join WW2 and Hitler could win, WW2 was already brewing in Europe nothing she could do there. Besides who'd believe an 18-year-old girl from Brooklyn.

-Toni finally perfected her Brooklyn accent. Bucky and Steve were so proud

-Something was happening between her and Bucky, Steve kept making jokes about how in love they were. Bucky's mom asked for her help when she was cleaning her house and 'accidently' showed her the dress she'd worn oh her wedding day. Subtle Mrs. Barnes

-Toni decided she like the name Toni Barnes. Antonia Barnes. Ann Barnes.

1937

-Bucky asked Toni out

-Steve won $150 bucks in a bet, about whether Bucky'd do it before they turned 20

-Bucky stole said money as revenge

-That money funded their first date

-Steve wouldn't have had it any other way

1939

-The war in Europe has officially started. Everyone's praying it won't spread but Toni can only wait for the inevitable

1941

-Pearl Habor sent the US into the war, 

-Steve enlists, Bucky's drafted and Toni signs up as a nurse.

-"Toni?"

"Are you afraid?" Bucky asks as the lie in bed together, about to fall asleep

"Yes. You?"

"Terrified. If you ever meet anyone on the front who says anything different, don't trust them because their a liar or their just stupid."

"Buck?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think will happen to Steve"

"If he's lucky he'll meet a girl while we're gone and we'll have a double wedding."

"You wanna marry me?"

Bucky looks back on his words and stutters "I mean -I"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Are we engaged now or?"

"Go to sleep Toni"

"Your mom's gonna be so excited."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so that was ALOT of story, and a lot of time went by in this chapter, and it was a little longer. I try to make the chapters long but I've already got up to chapter 11 written out on Wattpad, and don't want to edit them, but after that they'll get longer. I'm also posting a lot coz I've got these written and I ought to post them all in one go but for some reason, I'm just not. Wow, that was a run-on sentence. Bye.
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter isn't as long, sorry but I'm also uploading Chapters 5,6 and 7. So, yay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

"Toni? Bucky?"

Bucky woke up groggily, alone in his bed "She's not here!"

"Where'd she go?"

"I don't know, check the door"

a few moments of pause and Steve called back "She says she went for some groceries"

"On the day before we ship out?"

"You know Toni"

"We're still on for a double date tonight right?"

"As long as you supply a girl"

"Toni asked her friend, Penny"

Bucky got completely out of bed, and to the small kitchen of the apartment Steve, Bucky, and Toni shared

"So you're shipping out," Steve says awkwardly

"Yup"

"You scared?"

"Nope."

"So you're stupid"

Bucky choked on his juice "You heard?"

"Thin walls"

"I'm glad I said go to sleep and didn't let it escalate"

"You're gross."

"And stupid." Bucky shrugs

 

Toni had a few important chores to do that morning. Her list was, deposit the rest of her savings into Mrs. Barnes bank account, if it wasn't touched in 4 years she'd would be notified and rich, or at least well off, it was only about $3000 now. Maybe send Becca and Angie to college or pay off her mortgage.

She planned to do the same for Mrs. Rogers but she'd passed away 2 years ago. Toni didn't even realize Steve's mom died when she read the history books.

The second was to clean her area at the junkyard and repair shop she worked at. 

The last thing was to close the storage unit where she kept the box resembling an oven. She's worked on it on and off for the past few years but now she'd either have to bring it or leave it. 

She had a long day ahead of her.

 

"Buck? I'm home?"

"We're in here!" Steve called

She'd found an old(Even by 20's and 30's standards) TV in the junkyard of her work, she fixed it and brought it home much to the delight of the boys. She found them standing infront of the old TV when she walked in.

"So your engaged" Steve deadpans

Toni looks up in shock "You told him?"

"No, he heard" Bucky cringes

"That's even worse."

"Got a ring?"

"Well I can't wear it in a nursing station can I?"

"My mom's been saying I have to give my wife the ring she got and my grandma got so I'll ask her to save it for you after" He didn't say after the war. It didn't need to be said.

Toni's stomach drops. Reality hits. Both of them die in the war. When she gets back, if she gets, back she'll be alone. 

"No, I have a really good chain, give it to me and I'll string it on the chain, so I have it but it won't get ruined"

"That's adorable," Steve says

Before she can stop herself she says "I hate you."

and she knows what he'll say before he says it "Love you too."

 

They made their way to the Stark expo, Bucky telling her about how he found Steve in an alleyway just like when they'd met. 

They picked up Penny from her house

Steve was shy, and Penny was more interested in Toni's engagement

"Did her get on one knee?" She asked giddily

"No, I asked what he thought would happen to Steve and he said hopefully he'd meet a nice girl and we'd have a double wedding"

"Really! That's so cute!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna string his family engagement ring on a chain and bring it with me tomorrow."

Penny and Toni talked right up until the show started

It was a shock to Toni to see how young and free her father looked. She didn't make eye contact.

"What if I told you in a few years your car wouldn't even have to touch the ground?"

Howard switched a few levers and the car slowly floated above the ground

"Holy cow," Bucky said starstruck

"Wait for it"

Sparks flew off the car and it crashed back to the ground.

"He probably didn't have the thrusters at full power, if he just-"

"Toni?"

"Where's Steve?"

She saw the blonde trailing towards a recruitment house.

"Go talk to him." 

"Ok," He planted a kiss on her cheek and went off to get Steve, Penny and her talked till Bucky got back saying Steve had to take care of something

Penny wasn't too disappointed.

The night ended too soon. She desperate wanted to go back and relive the last 14 years. 

"Let's go home."

When they arrived at their apartment Bucky gave her the ring. It was silver and smooth and had a beautiful diamond on it. "It was my grandmother's." Bucky said

"I love it."

"I love you"

"You're kind of competing with the ring now." She said trying to conceal the tears in her eyes.

"Come here"

 

 

Toni reported to the nursing station the next morning, she was sent right to the front lines where they were in need of nurses. Nothing much happened in her first year there. So now we're going to focus on Bucky.

"Sergeant James Barnes?"

"Sir,"

"Your being moved to Camp Leigh, have your men ready for transport at 0700 hours "

"Sir yes sir"

 

Bucky's regiment wasn't the only one assigned Camp Leigh, they'd all served in Africa and England together and were a tight-knit group, they were celebrating their recent victories when one started making fun of the government's latest propaganda scheme

"I heard they found a body builder from Timbuktoo wrapped him in an American flag and call him Captain America!"

"No way I heard he was American born! Really wussy till they pushed him on steroids. Now he's insane." One spoke out

"Well, he's coming to Camp Leigh so we'll just have to see," Bucky said

 

They got to Camp Leigh at 1200 hours two days later and were immediately sent out on a mission to surprise attack the Nazi's

Bucky was up on a hill covering the troops as he marched. Falaste an immigrant citizen, was next to him also sniping

"See anything"

"Nope, just the backsides of these guys"

"Wait I've got movement on the outer corner of-" Bucky turned to see what happened and Falaste had a bullet hole right above his left eyebrow, Bucky moved and made a radio call 

"107th is under attack, we might be surrounded."

"Put ze radio down," said an accented voice behind him

"Sergeant? Sergeant, do you copy what's the current status?"

"Don't answer"

"Bad," Bucky said before a gun hit him in the back of the head. 

 

Bucky woke up, in the back of an army truck.

"About time," A soldier said as Bucky looked up

"I thought you were dead." another man also in the back of the truck remarked

"What happened? We get attacked?"

"Something like that." The second man in the back of the car said as he held up his hands which were handcuffed

Bucky's were too.

"Shit."

"Yeah"

"Who're you?" Bucky asked trying to take his mind of Steve getting a letter saying he was dead and there was no body.

Trying to get his mind of Toni and his wedding.

"Dum Dum Dugan"

"Morita"

"There's a few more in our squad, Happy, Monty, Deneir, Jupiter, and Pinky"

"Your sergeant? CO?"

"Shot, they asked all the leaders to stand up and anyone who did was killed immediately. I'm sorry but most of your squad was killed too."

Bucky gulped "James Barnes, call me Bucky"

"No that's the stupidest name I'd ever heard I'm gonna call you.... Sarge."

"Been called worse." 

"Is Barnes up?" a 19 year old Private asks

"yeah, why?" Dum dum responds

"Ask him if he knows where we're going?"

"Why the hell would he know"

The soldier who asked shrunk back into the lines of men walking.

"Where are we going?" Bucky asks

"Probably to the base we were gonna surprise. They probably make us work till we die." Dum dum says morbidly

Bucky gulped

"Why, got someone waiting back home?" Morita asks, sitting back 

Bucky chuckled "Kind of, my best friend couldn't join the army but my girl, she's a nurse." "A nurse? There was a last minute addition of nurses," Morita adds, but Bucky didn't hear him "Hopefully she's somewhere nice and warm, like France. She always wanted to go. The ways she talked about it, you'd think she's already been. I supposed it's probably not as nice right now. The war and all but maybe after." Morita looks at his suspiciously, "You feeling alright Sarge?" "Maybe I'll save up and have the wedding there she'd kill me. She says we ought to save it up but I always said whats the point of saving for so long if you can never spend cause your so busy saying and she says-" Bucky knew he was rambling but the world was getting pretty dark and he felt dizzy.

"Morita? I think he's passing o-"

 

Once again Bucky woke up with Morita staring at him. This time he was in a cell. Cage would be a better word.

"They gave us the spiel, work till we can't then work s'more then if we fall or die they'll shoot us."

"Homey,"

And true to their word they worked, when one started to fall everyone tried to catch them some succeeding some not. There was fights or course, mostly between prisoner and guard, Bucky always stood up for the kid that fell down and was viciously kicked by the guards. Then when he worked he told everyone around him stories about his life in Brooklyn. 

"Sarge? You been quite, we've all told stories about back home, what about your girl? The nurse?"

"Toni? Oh yeah, Toni's a genius! She beautiful and outsmarted the teachers in grade school. We used to see how could get better grades and I put up a good fight but she always managed circle around me..." 

They all share stories actually, but Bucky's just seem more animated, he really got into them. 

"Steve's a really dummy, he'll start a fight with a guy even if he was 2 feet taller coz he was being rude, gonna get himself killed. The only reason Toni was able to get into a nursing program so easily was coz she was so good at bandaging up Steve, she'd had so much practice."

Bucky, however, wasn't doing well, an old wound from one of the first weeks they'd been here(He'd lost count but Morita'd know) was infected. He had pneumonia and wasn't getting enough rations. 

He was a dead man walking and he knew it. 

"Sims is getting boot again," a soldier remarked, 

Bucky grunted and stood up trying to make his way to where the poor 18-year-old was getting mercilessly kicked. 

He was about to step in and help "Barnes? What're ya doing! You can't take another beating!" Dum dum called

"I'm already dead. I can save this kid, though." 

Bucky took his last rush of energy and ran at the guards swinging. He wasn't alone. He thought Dum Dum joined him in his attack but it sure didn't look like Dum Dum.

More guard pulled him and his fellow attacker off the guards, both of which were unconscious. 

He finally got a good look at the other person to attack the guards

"Toni?"

"Bucky?"

"What's going on?" a clean well-dressed man in a lab coat asked

"These prisoners, they attacked those guards, they were disciplining another prisoner"

Toni barely tore her eyes from Bucky "They were beating him for no reason!"

She tried to get out of the guard's arms but he was strong. 

The lab coat looked over Toni, he then looked at Bucky "Why would you defend him? You're already dying?"

"Because I'm already dying I at least saved him right?"

"Well, you're not a suitable candidate anyways, but it would have been a pleasure."

"What?"

"Take her"

Toni's eyes widened she thrashed and looked to Bucky "NO! Don't let them."

He did the same, fighting off the guards holding him.

The lab coat said, "Stop."

The guards, Toni and Bucky all stopped at once

"Take him too."

The guards pulled both Bucky and Toni off the rooms, no one returned from. In front of a crowd of prisoners. Dum Dum had retreated long before this fight started to get Morita so he'd be there when Bucky needed a medic. The returned too late.

"Where'd the go?"

"The doc took Barnes and some dame to the labs." One prisoner said

"God help them" was all Morita had to offer.

 

All Bucky remembered from his first round of experiments was 4 things. Pain, Screaming, his service number, and the date July 3rd, 1927

His entire body felt like it was on fire. The injected him with something, to treat his infection he supposed, but it hurt like hell. 

He screamed more than he'd like to admit, he heard Toni scream too which was worse.

All he did was repeat "32557038" for hours, out loud in his head, while he screamed, it was all he could think of.

When it was quiet he heard a soft voice saying "July 3rd, 1927" over and over again. It was probably Toni. He didn't have the voice to ask what she was saying and it was never quiet very long.

He did, however, remember being sent back to the cells where the prisoners slept, along with Toni. It was probably the middle of the night because everyone was asleep. He tried to speak but the last thing he saw was Toni's stretcher being set down next to his before falling asleep himself.

 

"We've got to stop meeting like this" Bucky said when he woke up with Morita looking down at him.

"Yup he's still Barnes alright."

"What the hell Sarge?" Dum Dum asked, "I go get Morita to patch you up after you get the crap beaten out of you and you're just gone!"

"He's always been fickle like that." a soft voice behind him says " Took him weeks to ask me out, showed up stammered for an hour and left, damn fool."

Dum Dum raised his eyebrow "Who are you?"

"Toni. I would've thought you'd told them about me. Buck"

Bucky opened his mouth and closed it, he really thought he'd imagined Toni earlier.

"Wait you're Toni?" Pinks says from the other side of the cell

"Yeah," She says

Bucky stands up walks over to her sits down next to here and kisses her, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"tsk tsk, you thought you'd get out of that double wedding you promised me, huh? Not so easy." She said grinning

"Have you heard from Steve?" Bucky asked, 

"Actually there's something that's happened, I need to tell you-"

Toni was cut off, and Bucky felt a lump in his throat, his friend was dead, was all he could think

"Prisoners, get to work! It's time to work!"

The guards make their rounds about the cells banging on cells, he has a wheelbarrow with him for anyone who's died in the night.

Bucky and Toni both get up slowly, 

"Guys, maybe you should rest a bit before going"

"Why?"

"Well, you haven't been seen in 48 days, and I'm assuming they didn't make sure you stayed healthily active."

"48 days?" Toni says

"Yup." Morita says "Thought you were dead and everything. Had a small service it was classy. Dum Dum cried."

That day they all worked on the weapons or supplies the Nazi forces need, obviously not knowing what they were making. That night Toni and Bucky were once again dragged away to the labs. Also, that night Captain America came to save them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

Captain America historically stormed the forts, looking for his best friend. At the time he didn't even realize Toni was there, her nursing unit had been last minute additions to the regiment tasked with surprising the fort in the first place. 

"Have you see Sergeant James Barnes?" he called to all the prisoners

"Yeah! They took him and some girl to the labs, been there for days."

Steve gulped, losing faith his friend was alive.

He every corridor before seeing a scientist flee with a briefcase. He was about to chase the man when he heard a faint

"32557038, 32557038" 

Bucky.

When he saw Bucky on the table his breath hitched. Was he dead? Was he hurt?

"Bucky, Buck it's me!"

"Ste-Steve?"

"Yeah, it's me. I thought you were dead"

"I thought you were smaller."

"Yeah, c'mon let's go"

"No, wait. Toni"

"Yeah, we'll get Toni right after we get out of here!"

"She's here, they brought her into the other room, we gotta, we gotta get her"

Steve paused "Which way they take her?"

Bucky pointed an arm the direction where Steve had come from.

"You get out of here I'll get her"

"Like hell, end of the line right?"

Steve frowned but knew there was no arguing "Always, let's go"

Steve helped Bucky up 

"Steve. What happened to you"

"I joined the army!"

 

Toni didn't know what was going on. They were about to inject something again when alarms went off. They were so loud they hurt. Everyone left very quickly. She tried to get up but only fell on the ground.

"Okay," she said" I don't think I'm bleeding, at least not externally. I just need to regain balance."

She paused a moment and tried to stand again. This time she shakily rose to her feet walked out of the room to a hallway. 

"Which way?"

She chose left, and ran for her life.

 

"Deneir?" Toni called to the only familiar man she saw, "What's going on?"

"They sent someone to take back this fort!"

Steve showed up. Good. Bucky was out, 

"Let's blow this popsicle stand" She grinned as Dum Dum and Pinky emerged from a tank, not caring if that phrase was from 1999.

 

Bucky and Steve searched for what felt like hours before they ran into Red Skull

"So you're the one who's supposed to replace me?"

They exchanged banter as the building around them collapsed. 

"Where's Toni?" Bucky yelled at last

"Ah yes the girl, proved to be quite resilient. She died screaming." the cruel man said as he fled from Steve and Bucky

"He could be lying," Steve said looking back at Bucky's stoic face

"Yeah."

They both made their way to safety and Bucky only looked back once.

 

"I'm sorry to inform whoever it may concern but Captain Rogers is assumed dead behind enemy lines." Colonel Philips

Peggy didn't make eye contact with the man as he chastised her. She only noticed the men running to the front of the base after looking down.

"What the-" Colonel said

He walked out of his tent to see Steve Rogers leading 100 men back to camp. 

"I submit myself for punishment" Rogers manages to say with a straight face, the older man sighed. 

"Won't be necessary, Rogers?excitement" He says walking back to his tent, you'd thought he was angry by the way he walked but a smile danced on his face.

"Let's hear it for Captain Rogers!"

The soldiers cheered.

 

A few hours excitement died down, the some of other men they befriended during their capture or rescue were looking at Bucky pityingly. Toni was nowhere to be seen.

They all had tents near each other, Steve, Bucky, Morita and Dum Dum were all sharing but Dum Dum wasn't there. 

"Last I saw he had jumped a tank," Morita joked

"Of course he did", Bucky said "Let me guess him and Deneir"

"However did you know?"

The man himself waltzed into small tent, "Barnes I'm telling you that girl of your is a spitfire"

"Toni?" Bucky sat up 

"No your other girl! Yes, Toni! We were in the back of the march with the tanks, she fixed all the damages and now they run real smooth, you shoulda seen her fixing up the cars and tanks fixing up the guys, fucking tornado of fixing stuff up."

"She's alive?"

"Course she's alive."

Bucky got up and out of the tent in record time and asked around for Toni, she was in the med bay.

"Toni", Bucky said as he saw her

"Bucky?" She turned around and ran to him, kissing him deeply.

"I thought you were gone." he said flatly after they broke away

"Afraid of losing the ring?" she smiled

"You got me."

________________________________________________________________________________

Once again there were lots of gritty details you wouldn't like to hear about, however this portion of the story takes place over a much shorter peiod of time so instead of putting bullet points under the years, I'll do so under the monthes. The resuce took place in June for refrence.

June

-"Captain Rogers, we agreed to let you have an integrated team, gave you all the resources and clearance you could ask for, but we can't have a woman serving with the Howling Commandos!"

"I'm pretty sure all of us are gonna drop out then."

"Don't you dare, Rogers why do you want that dame so bad anyway, isn't she with Barnes?"

"She's with him but still deserves a place in this team. She helped as much as any other man in the rescue, I know a few who swear they'd be dead if it weren't for her."

"Rogers I don't think you under-"

"No. I understand perfectly. I don't think you understand. Without Toni, there is no team."

"Fine, but when people complain, you're taking the heat."

"I look forward to it."

-"To the Howling Commandos!" Pinky cries as all the Commandos clink their glasses together.

"Hey! Can I get a pitchah!" said a young photographer

All the Commandos turned towards the camera

"This one for the history book!"

-Toni and Bucky decided to have their wedding in Paris

"How the hell you gonna get to Paris?" Dum Dum asks

"We'll figure it out, you just worry about getting yourself there, because you're my maid of honor." Toni snarks back

"On one condition; I get to pick my own dress"

-Steve maps out every landmark on the battle plan he'd seen. They make plans of attack for the next 6 months

July

\- The Howling commandos made their first attack to great success. They celebrated with a night out on the town and a weekend off, 

-Steve, Bucky, and Toni were the most requested interviewees, they wanted to think it was because Steve was Captain America and the others grew up with them, but they'd overheard some not so nice comments about their fellow commandos

"So Captain Rogers, you grew up with these two right?"

"Yep, known Bucky since I was about 5 and Toni since I was 9."

"Toni we know all about Bucky and Rogers' life before the war, but where were you before you met these two?"

Toni visibly paled and stuttered "I- Well, I. My parents died around my 8th birthday, and I took a while to get some kind of funeral for them; they were both cremated, and after that I used the last of my money to buy a ticket to Brooklyn, well there wasn't enough for Brooklyn so I got to a town somewhere outside of it and got lost on a farm. This nice woman Mrs. Trent I think gave me clean clothes, food and a ride to the city. I told her I had family there. I was on my way to some girls home or something when I saw someone beating the hell out of this scrawny kid, really just beating him into the pavement so I stepped in and well the rest is history."

The interviewer asked a few more questions about recent attacks and how the effort was going before turning towards Bucky and Toni

"It's true you two are engaged right?"

Bucky sighed "Yeah"

"Did this happen before or after you went in the army"

"He proposed a day or two before we left,"

"And you're gonna get a ring after right?"

"Nah, I had a good chain so I took the ring and strung it up so I wouldn't lose it or ruin it but always have it with me"

"That's beautiful, where are you thinking about having it"

"Paris," Bucky and Toni say together "I've always wanted to go, maybe help clean up once the wars over find a park or something, make it really small, though." Toni finished

-Mrs. Louisa Trent was watching the TV at her home, a white old house in a small town just outside of the city when she heard something that caught her eye

"I got lost on a farm, and this nice woman Mrs. Trent I think gave me clean clothes, food and a ride to the city. I told her I had family there. I was on my way to girls home or something when I saw someone beating the hell out of this scrawny kid, really just beating him into the pavement so I stepped in and well the rest is history."

She gasped, recognizing the girl who was now much older as Toni Stark. She'd heard the name on the news and in the papers before but never put together the scared 9-year-old girl who'd been lost about 15 years ago. The same 9-year-old girl who was a soldier in the army and best friend to Captain America. She'd have to call Ollie, Liam, and Johnny.

August

-The Howling Commandos become somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon, they represent almost every person in America, by race or gender age or rank some, everyone can connect to them. Toni is especially popular with little girls, who see their moms and sisters going and doing men's work and then seeing Captain America fighting alongside a woman. Not to mention she manages to be tough and strong and still be in love with the handsome Sergeant Barnes. Of course, the Commandos and Toni had no idea about this at the time.

\- Phillips asks Toni to consult with the leading expert on technology. Howard Stark. No one asks her why they share a name. At least not to her face. 

Toni stiffly walks to the new tent that was put up that morning after the arrival of her father-Howard 

"Hello?" she calls

 

"Come in," says a fresh voice

She walks in to find him wearing a welding mask working on a machine that sends sparks into the air. 

"You must be Miss Stark. God that sound weird to say, you know cause it's my name too. What are the odds, two genius Starks! We're not related right?"

"Not that I know of," She says primly "Well, what did you want me to consult on?"

"Well, don't tell Phillips but it's not for the military, I've had this personal project in my head since I was 8 years old." He moves out of the way and shows her what he was working on. It was the Oven Time Machine.

"What is it?"

"A time machine!"

She laughs "Really, though?"

"I'm serious! This is the first one!" He looks at her without the mask for the first time "Good god you really look like me a lot. You sure we're not related?"

"Positive," He looks at her suspiciously

She turns on her heel out of the tent.

September

-They started planning the infamous train attack. Toni starts throwing up when she hears. Now their rumors of her being knocked up. Great.

-Toni has a mission now. As long as she's there Bucky won't get hurt on that train. She won't let him.

-A comic book series has been circulating around New York and other major American cities, they're very popular but the readers have one complaint. Toni Stark is portrayed as a giggly, but gorgeous nurse who tends to and falls in love with Steve Rogers, only to find out he got beat up once protecting her when they were kids. Toni hasn't seen it and if Dum Dum has his way she never will because he's afraid of what she'd do. 

-Bucky and Toni pick a park in Paris, the 'Jadin des Tuileries'. Bucky writes his vows already because he says he knew them from the moment he met her. He makes two copies and gives one to Steve and mails one to his mom.

October

-Some newspaper reports Toni saying

"Once my friend asked me 'If you had to choose to live without James or die with him, what would you do?' First of all, what does die with him mean? Does it mean to die and him die too? In that case, I'd live without him because he'd want me to live if he was gonna die anyways. But to be honest I couldn't answer the question because if Bucky was there I'd survive. I just would, I mean as long as I have him to fight for I'd find a way to survive. Besides he wouldn't let me die anyway, I've still got his 'precious' ring."

-There were only three more battles they had planned out on the map, this one, the train and the final one where Steve would take down the plane.

This one was fought hard and well and won the same. Toni was injured in the final moments, however, throwing a wrench into her plan to save Bucky.

November

\- Toni cried herself to sleep most nights, the train attack was getting closer. She could do nothing. She had to leave. She was going to sneak into Howard's tent, try and use the time machine because she couldn't take it.

-Toni broke down in front of Bucky begging him not to get on the train. 

"Toni? What's going on?" Bucky asked concernedly

"You can't get on the train! You can't! I need you!" She cried as she collapsed in his arms "Promise me you won't? Promise me?"

"Toni, you know I can't."

"I know, I shouldn't have done this anyways"

"Done what?"

Toni runs in the opposite direction.

-The attack was tonight and it was also they day she would hijack the time machine. 

She kissed Bucky goodbye trying not to cry, trying to memorize his face. She went to her tent and grabbed a bag and the following things, a picture of Bucky, a picture of Steve, Bucky and her when they were about 12, and a Captain America doll. 

She turned out the lamp in the tent and headed for Howards WorkTent.

He wasn't in there so she set right to work, writing a note in terrible handwriting making deliberate spelling mistakes, signing off with some German Nazi HYDRA members name that she happened to remember the note read;

"To whom it might concern,

The Nazi party in affiliation with HYDRA has captured Antonia Edith Stark as revenge for taking the great scientist Zola. We aren't to bargain or trade for his life for she is already dead, and she died screaming.

-Nemon Von Rustek"

(This version of the letter left out most spelling mistakes, for clarity)

She climbed into the box after setting the time as best she could to about 2023 which would make sense for her age and was ready to hit the button from inside when she heard the click of a button and the words 

"Get out of the machine."

 

Toni slowly stepped out to be face to face with her own father, 

"What do you think you're doing?"

She gulped "I well I-"

"Traveling back in time?"

She looked at her feet.

"Traveling forward in time?" he asked incredulously, then his eyes widened "I knew it! I knew it! You're going back to the future!"

Toni stifled a laugh, "I don't know what your talking about"

"Oh give it up, you're obviously much more advanced than most scientists around, not to mention you've got my name and could be my twin sister, which is not a coincidence. You're a distant relative I presume. Anyways, after meeting you rather suspiciously I saw there were no records of you whatsoever before 1927. Curious? Isn't that?"

Toni gulped "So what if I am? From the future? I need to go back and I need to now."

He jumped up and down giddily "I have so many questions! How are you related to me anyways? Does your father or brother or cousin control Stark Industries?" 

Toni glares at him "I control SI, or at least I will when I get back, and if you have to know to help me, I'm your daughter."

He stops and pauses for a second "My daughter? Wow, I never thought I'd settle down"

"You really didn't."

He rolls his eyes

"Haven't you read any SciFi books anyways? I can't answer any other question or I could disturb the natural order of things or prevent my birth!"

"You know I'm gonna name you Alowishcious just because you're being rude."

She laughed a second "Actually, you named me Antonia so you could nickname me Toni, but when I was in trouble you'd call me Antonia and I'd know I'd done something wrong."

He smiled "Genius."

"And humble too,"

"Okay, so you need to get back to what? 19?"

"2023," she says her attention turned back to the machine

"Awesome" Howard breathes out, "Well, I'll set it back to 2023, and set up a toggle, so I'll push the button and run out of the room so I don't get accidentally sucked in. By the way, what should I tell everyone when you're gone?"

"Tell them I was kidnapped or killed by HYDRA agents."

Howard gulps "And your not worried about what Barnes is gonna think of this?"

"He's going to die in this attack," she says plainly

Howard gulps again "And now I'll stop asking questions."

Toni climbs into the box and hears the click of the machine followed by smaller softer clicks which were probably the timer 

"I've set the timer for 1 minutes." Howard says as he leaves the tent "It was nice meeting you!"

The doors close and Toni closes her eyes.

Suddenly she hears "BARNES? You can't go in there!" 

The tent door is flung opened and she hears heavy footsteps coming towards the box 

The timer was running out.

The Oven door was opened slowly and she see Bucky there looking at her 

"Toni? What's going on"

*click, click click, BEEP*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever could that mean?
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will mostly by newspaper articles, excerpts from books, and websites about Toni, Bucky, and Steve after the war. There might be a few about Toni's disappearance in 1999 but mostly WW2 stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

September 2nd, 1945

The war has ended. However, there were a great many casualties lost, in the last month. The more notable being beloved Steve Rogers, who crashed an enemy plane into the arctic sea sacrificing himself. There is also the notable disappearance of Toni Stark and Bucky Barnes. They are assumed dead and their engagement was never fulfilled.

 

"May 2nd, 1950

An except from:

The Real Antonia Stark.

Thalia Hale

I myself remember falling in love the Toni Stark, at the young age of about 13. She was beautiful and smart and strong, holding her own against the Nazi's fighting alongside the bravest men America has ever known. However, Toni had a very dark shady past. She is quoted saying her parents died around her 8th birthday which is in May, she was only seen by witnesses 2 months later, wearing odd clothing that was never recovered asking what the date was. I sat down with Mrs. Trent, the first person alive to ever reportedly speak to her,

"Mrs. Trent, what was your first impression of Antonia" 

"Well, she seemed well enough, she knocks on the door asking if anyone was there. When I first saw her I thought she was a boy for she was wearing odd cloth trousers and a shirt with strange symbols on it. She introduced herself as Antonia and thank goodness she did or I would never have guessed she was a girl looking like that with the name 'Toni'"

"Do you remember what she asked you?"

"She asked me where she was and what the date was. It was July 4th so I proudly exclaimed the patriotic date, which she seemed to know but she paled at the year which was 1927."

Some historian's theorized she changed her name after her parent's death for some reason, ever claiming she changed it to the famous last name Stark because her aptitude matched the famous men. Of course, he wasn't famous at the time and was only about 9 himself.

She then famously helped Steve in a street fight, report with short brown hair and a yellow dress on, which was given to her by Mrs. Trent. She had told the woman she had family in the city which was discovered untrue. 

The main mystery concerning the woman was her disagree about 4 days before the final battle between Red Skull and Captain America. She disappeared along with her fiance James Barnes. Their bodies were never covered nor where any documents disclosing their whereabouts found in any HYDRA bases. "

"February 6th, 2000"

Patrick Tegun

Stark daughter still missing.

About a year ago, a missing child report was made from the Stark home, only to be withdrawn in minutes. The world looked to the Stark family to show their daughter, Toni, to the public. She hasn't been seen since July 3rd, 1999. Howard Stark is quoted saying "Antonia is off at a private boarding school for gifted young people."

 

"1945"

June 7th

Rebbeca Proctor

Mrs. Barnes, mother of Sergeant Barnes has been reported to have inherited a large sum of money from the late Toni Stark. The banker called her house earlier that week and told her a sum of $5000 had been toggle deposited in her account. It's reported the sum was put there the day before Toni went to serve and was set to be given to Mrs.Barnes 6 years later if it remained untouched. Mrs. Barnes is overjoyed and still grieving the loss of her son and future daughter in law. She plans to use the funds to send her daughters to college and pay for a memorial to be placed in France. It was the late Stark and Barnes dream to get married there. It appears there wasn't enough money for a memorial and Mrs. Barnes had given up hope when this story broke on the 12 pm news. Sums of money small and large were sent to Mrs.Barnes with notes saying how their wartime love story inspired people and helped them through the war. Or saying how they loved Bucky and Toni. Mrs. Barnes is so thankful for all the support and will be taking her two children Rebbeca and Angela, along with their older sister, Teresa to France to see the opening of the memorial featuring Toni's famous "I would just survive" quote."

 

Buzzfeed

10 Unsolved Mysteries

Annah Kopski

1\. The Mysterious Disappearance of Antonia Stark.

Antonia Stark has been studied for years, I usually introduce when and where the person I was writing about was born, but there are not records of Toni Stark before age 9. The first known record is her school report card, from 3rd grade. Here's a rough summary of the report card.

 

Student Name: Antonia Edith Stark Guardian Name: Sarah Rogers

School: Brooklyn Public Elementary School

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. Jun. 

Reading: A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

Grammar: A A A A+ A+ A+

Spelling: B+ B+ A- A A+ A+

Mathematics: A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

History: A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

American History: A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

Science: A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

Music: C C B B B B

Comments: Toni is a bright young student, who has made very few friends but those she has made are very close. She isn't very polite and doesn't have much care for etiquette or being a lady but those can be taught.

 

Toni was an exceptional student through her elementary, middle and high school. She applied for advancement classes and colleges but was denied. It was later confirmed this was because she was a girl. However before she could attend a local Brooklyn college WW2 broke out, she and her boyfriend/fiance were both called to war. They fought for about a year before they were both captured by Nazi's front a failed surprise attack. Barnes was injured and feel sick after about a week, apparently, neither of them knew the other was there and entertained their fellow prisoners with stories of them and Steve. 

They were taken to a lab by Nazi/HYDRA members and it is unknown what happened to them there. They were rescued by Captain America along with 200 other prisoners 55 days later. 

Both were unsure whether the other got out alive, Barnes being rescued by Rogers personally while Stark made her own way out, and met a few future fellow Howling Comando who had taken over a tank. Barnes led the soldiers along with Captain Rogers in the front while Stark tends to the sick, injured men and fixed tanks and guns. They only reconnected that night.

It is widely known they planned to get married in France right after the war, there is a memorial for them there now. 

They disappeared late on Saturday, November 9th, the same day The Howling Commandos made an attack on a Nazi train, which Barnes was supposed to be part of. Howard Stark(No relation) was found unconscious in his workshop tent and claimed Nazi spies had captured and or killed them. No bodies were found and no record of this happening was ever recovered. Both of their dog tags, however, were found and are now in the Captain America museum

 

1\. The 2nd mysterious disapprove of Antonia Stark

Everyone thought it was strange when Howard Stark named his daughter seemingly after the missing woman. He claimed it was one of his great aunts or ancestors names and they were her namesake. It is widely believed this is untrue. 

She was also realized at a young age that she was a genius. The world noticed she looked similar to Howard and very similar to the late Antonia Stark. Infamously she was reported missing at age 9. Howard Stark claimed she was at a private boarding school, and there were a few very shady pictures of her but most have been ridiculed as set up photos. Howard and Maria Stark were killed along with their butler in a car accident in 2007, and it was revealed she was, in fact, missing in 1999, and it was covered up for some reason, their butler Edwin Jarvis contacted the police and he was the one who filed the missing person report. Mr. Stark covered it up for unknown reasons. Some conspiracists even believe Stark was working on a time traveling device which Toni activated and sent herself back to 1927. This, of course, is just a conspiracy.

(January 17th, 2009)

(December 3rd, 1942, inside a HYDRA safe house a few days after Steve Rogers lead a one-man rescue on the HYDRA base holding Toni and Bucky)

"Arnim Zola, voice documentary date 12/3/42"

"Dr. Zola?"

"Yes?"

"You asked for these samples, yes?"

"Yes thank you"

"Can I ask... what they are?"

"Samples of some prisoners, they've escaped though"

"So they're useless? The samples?"

"No. Not necessarily"

"What will you do with them?"

"Watch. Starting Project Clone, I. Dr. Zola will first inject the samples of James Barnes, followed by Antonia Stark"

"Dr.-Dr Zola? That science is experimental! And the cloning process would take years! Decade to give anything useful."

"If my theory is correct Mr. Peirce we will have plenty of time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

For the first time in her limited time traveling experience Toni did not wake up inside the oven time machine.

She instead woke up in a very bright white room, that looked suspiciously like a hospital. The second thing she noticed was the noise coming from next to her which was a monotone beeping.

Definitely a hospital. 

She stood up, realizing she had a white hospital gown on, her hair down completely, she walked across the bare room holding the back of the gown. 

Just as she reached the door it opened, a woman in a dress suit was the one who opened it

"Miss. Stark, I see you've woken up. My name is Maria Hill and I'm here to debrief you."

"Debrief me?"

"Yes, about your time traveling."

 

 

The next half hour was insane, Hill told her that there was a secret BlackOps, Men in the Black organization that immediately investigated her disappearance in 1999 because it was run by her godmother Peggy. They eventually discovered the Time Traveling Oven and realized when and where I'd gone back to, however, they couldn't re-engineer the Oven. 

"We were more than happy to finally have found you but were wondering, why did you bring back a companion?"

"A companion?"

"Mr. James Barnes?"

"He came too?"

"Yes. He will be much harder to explain this too, we assumed he didn't know you were a time traveler or that was a time machine."

"Yeah..."

"He was thoroughly knocked out as were you when you were discovered by John Trent."

"Johnny? The same kid from the farm?"

"I'm afraid Johnny Trent had passed away. It was his son that found you."

"Oh, well where is he? James?" Toni never called Bucky by his nickname in situations like these. Not that she'd been in lots of situations like these but still.

"We were going to put him in a historically accurate room, it'd have a 1940s window view, and an antique radio. We'd breaking the news to him slowly."

"That's a terrible idea. You should put him in a room like this one and let me explain." Toni said determinedly.

Hill sighed "Fine. But the other guys are gonna be really upset. When are we going to have another chance to use a 1940s room!"

Toni rolls her eyes "Can I get some clothes? With a back?"

Hill nods and walks out bringing back a pair of black leggings, sneakers, and an old TV shirt. "We found a few on you and Barnes when we found you." She hands Toni a plastic gray box "They're in here"

Toni looked at the contents of the box, they were an old rusty pistol, Bucky and her own dog tags, a compass, a picture of Toni, a Captain America doll and a silver chain with her engagement ring on it.

Toni sighed and put on the leggings and shirt, finding an elastic on the table, tucked the doll in her back pocket and put both dog tags on and then her engagement ring necklace.

This was the new fashion? And Toni thought the 1940s were bad. 

She walked out into a hallway that was definitely not a hospital. It looked more like an office building. The grays walls stretch for a while before a few wall length windows broke it up. Toni saw Hill turning the corner and followed.

As she walked past the windows a few turned and gasped at her. She could hear the whispering from her side of the glass. Some spy organization.

She quickly caught up with Hill.

"Can I see him?"

"We have him in a room like yours. He wasn't inside the machine so he got some weird aftershocks. He'll probably be out for about another day. You can wait with him if you like."

Toni nods "Ok, show me the way."

Maria continues down the hallway a short while till they reach a similar door. Maria pushes it open and inside it Bucky in a white bed, with a ton of machines whirring behind him, he looked pale and his normally short hair had grown out and reached halfway down his ears.

"How long ago did you find us?"

"3 months"

Toni shouldn't have been worried about that she'd been gone for about 14 so few months were nothing. She, however, was worried Bucky's been asleep for 3 months.

"How am I going to.. go back?"

"To the 1940s?"

Toni furrowed her brow, not even thinking of that. Though Bucky might want to consider.

"No, I mean how'll I go back to today? The modern age? I mean I was already 20 years ahead of everyone technology wise and I left Howard my notebook so he'll probably invent all sorts of shit out of that. He better have credited me." Toni says as an afterthought

"He does" Hill offers a smile "He did."

"He's gone right?" Toni frowned again, she could tell by Hills hesitant tone. She hadn't seen a trace of it right up until Toni brought up Howard.

"Yeah. He did in 2008 I think. He never stopped looking for you. He worked with Peggy, but after a thorough investigation, we realized you were Antonia Stark from the 1940s who'd gone missing. We couldn't even try to bring you back without screwing history."

"Maria?"

"They went together" Hill probably meant this as a comfort. Toni could only laugh.

"God, they must've hated that. The had to spend their last moments together!" Toni cracked a smile. 

"Your butler Edwin Jarvis passed away not long after your dad-Howard. He was able to tell the public the truth about your disappearance, though.I know you were close"

Toni figured she ought to be sad her parents passed away, and she was real. She, however, didn't feel a deep pit in her stomach that felt like someone was stabbing her repeatedly when she thought of their death the way she did when she thought of Jarvis's. "Yeah. We were."

Toni knew they'd be dead. I mean they were all pretty old, well Maria wasn't really but Howard and Jarvis were nearly 60 when Toni was born. She knew they'd be gone.

"Who runs SI?"

"Obadiah Stane," Hill said

Toni vaguely remembers an old bald guy who told her she was pretty at her birthday's parties and gave her lollipops. Obie was her father's nickname for him. 

"Think he'll be happy to see me?"

"Yup, and he'll love handing over his company to you."

"That's what I meant. When I said how will I go back. What will I say to the public? The press? Where have I been for the past 14 years?"

"Well, you won't say 1943. I was thinking amnesia or something. They won't accepted it. They'll be rumors. More Buzzfeed articles probably but what can they do? Eventually, it'll be old news."

"Ok, what about Bucky?"

Hill bit her lip "We don't need anyone to know about him. He's not very recognizable and there are not websites based on time travel conspiracies to him, he'll just be your boyfriend."

"When?"

"As soon as he wakes, you can hold an official coming out press conference, we've already called Stane and asked him to come to our facility he'll be here in 20 minutes."

"Ok."

"Hey, Toni?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome back"

 

 

"Mr. Stane." the curt receptionist that met Obadiah said shortly. 

"Yeah, I was asked here by a Maria Hill? I have a ton of work today so if you could make it snappy."

"Of course," she said, her red hair tossed over her shoulder as she reached for a phone. 

"Hello? Natalie speaking. Yes, Miss. Hill he's here," Natalie smiled sweetly as she hung up "Miss Hill will see you shortly, please feel free to wait here." 

She then returned to typing away at her computer. 

Obadiah sighed and moved his weight to one leg, kept one hand on the counter and pulled put his phone with the other, if he was here for more than 10 minutes he's out. He was a very important person with a company to run.

"Mr. Stane" a short woman in a black jumpsuit and short brown hair pulled back was at the nearest doorway, "So sorry for the wait, follow me"

Stane followed the woman "You're Hill?"

"Yep," The mysterious woman said again

"Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

"3 minutes."

"Yes, and I don't know if you realize but I'm a very important man in charge of a million dollar company so 3 minutes can mean tens of thousands of dollars to me!"

Maria turned to him and what she lacked in height she made up in glare "I don't know if you realize but I'm a very important woman in charge of a top secret spy organization so 3 minutes can mean tens of thousands of lives to me! Now if you would please follow me, I'd like to ask you a few questions before showing you what I called you in to see today. Who I called you into seeing that is."

Stane huffed "Fine but I can only be here for about an hour before I'm needed in New York."

"Of course" Maria sighed "What do you know or member about Antonia Stark?"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you're telling me, Howards transportation device malfunctioned while Antonia was playing in it, 14 years ago, she suffered severe amnesia and was transported to another country. Where she stayed off the radar till a road trip with her boyfriend when they got into a car accident and she was identified as Antonia Stark the heir to Stark Industries?" Obadiah said

"Yes"

"Bullshit. Someone found a chick who looked like Toni and wanted a quick buck, to play a puppet so the could control SI and take it from me." Obadiah huffed again

"Would you like to meet her?"

"No, I don't want to meet the whore who's trying to take my company!"

"Right this way, she's in a few rooms over, her boyfriend suffered more major injuries than her and last time I was there hadn't woken up. When he does, we'll hold a press conference announcing her return and rightful takeover of SI."

"I said I don't believe you."

"And I ignored you because you're in shock and denial, whoever I have no time for that, so please follow."

Obadiah stood up and followed the woman trying to leave as quickly as possible, They walked down a hallway to a white door, when opened there was a woman with long dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. Obadiah had to admit she looked a lot like Antonia.

"You must be Obadiah" She stood up glancing at the young man in the bed, who was pale but asleep. "Toni."

Obadiah in a funk of some sort raised his hand for a handshake and she returned the favor, leaving them to an awkward silence. 

Maria cleared her throat. "Well then, I don't look like.." Maria glanced at Obadiah "James will be waking himself. If it's ok with you, we can try to medically wake him."

"Yeah, ok," Toni said wearily

A few nurse filled in, with shots and bags, or tinted blue water. They hooked up the bags and shots to James's arm and slowly his eyes fluttered, Toni's breath hitched 

"He'll be awake within the hour"

"I've heard that before"

"Promis this time."

Toni sat back down into the chair and stared at James intently as though willing him to wake. 

Obadiah cleared his thought "Well I best be going." he slowly backed out of the room trying to think of a way out of this. That girl was probably Toni. How could he keep the company?

Maria looked at him, for a moment he thought she'd try and stop her, but she looked back to James on the bed as though giving him permission to leave.

And Obadiah Stane doesn't' ask for or need permission. That's when he decided what to do.

 

Bucky woke up around 8 pm that night, ironically only half an hour after Toni nodded off in a chair nearby.

"Tones? Toni?" Bucky whispered, his voice dry and cracky. 

"Mr. Barnes? Are you awake?" a young British nurse asked from the doorway, wearing a hybrid of a modern and 40s nurse wear as a last ditch effort of 'slowly easing' Bucky into the 21st century

Bucky blinks his eyes glazing and fuzzy "Peg? Peggy?"

The nurse sighed "Um, no. I'm Cecelia. Silat. Cecelia Silat. Um, I was here when you were brought in and I've mostly been tending to you."

"Tending to me? How long have I been here?" Bucky tried to sit up, only managing to hold himself up halfway "Where's Toni? Antonia Stark? Have you seen her?"

"Mr. Barnes she's in right there. She has admitted as well but she woke about a day before you. You've been here for 3 months or so."

Bucky looked to the left and saw Toni slumped in the chair, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ok, where am I then? Brooklyn? Or is this some really nice hospital set up in Camp Leigh?" Bucky smiled 

"I-I better call the director. He's better-equipped to...explain. Or maybe Hill." Cecelia turned to the wall and picked up the wall phone. 

"Director? Yes, he's up and asking..." Cecelia glance at an inquisitive Bucky looking at her, "...questions"

She hung up abruptly and turned to bucky her hands behind her back leaning on the wall and gave him a sympathetic smile. 

"Director, he'll explain. I hardly know what's happening myself. I'm terribly sorry for, confusing you if I have. I should go."

She turned on her heal out the door.

Bucky sank into his bed and looked at the floor, trying to figure out what was going on

A few minutes later, he heads an impatient cough at the door. 

"Mr. Barnes."

Bucky looked up and saw a tall black man in a leather jacket, and eye patch.

"Bucky? Are you up-" Toni sat up slowly blinking, "Shit, Pirate."

"Miss Stark. Mr. Barnes." The pirate said slowly "My name is Nick Fury, I am the director of SHEILD, which is in charge of the hospital and building you currently in. "

"Where exactly is that?" Bucky asked

"New York City," Fury said "You were caught in a machine in 1945, that machine was a time travel device. A working one. It sent you 72 years into the future."

Bucky blinked "You're kidding. Are you kidding, right? Dumdum set this up to scare me?"

Fury blinked and looked about as uncomfortable as possible.

"Umm, no Mr. Barnes. I'm afraid this is not a joke." His face went back to stoic and serious in an instant. 

Bucky swallowed. "Are-is anyone." he paused as though trying to find words. "This is a joke."

"I'll give you sometime to...consider." Fury walked out, shutting the door behind him.

"Toni. You and DumDum, or Morita you put this all together right? You just kidding around." A few tears swelled in Bucky eyes, as he furrowed his brow they threatened to spill over. 

Toni, however, was long gone, tear streaming already she kneeled next to his bed and buried her face in his neck. "Bucky. I'm so sorry. I wish-I wish it was fake. I wish I was joking."

His words were swallowed in a gasp as the tears finally pushed over the edges of his eyelids and spill down his face as he grabs Toni and pulls her closer. He sobs silently as does she and closes his eyes to block out his new reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just reread a chapter or two and realized I've misspelled 'disappearance' so many times, jeez. Well, I'll try to fix any mistakes I find and tell me if you spot any.
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

Just reread a chapter or two and realized I've misspelled 'disappearance' so many times, jeez. Well, I'll try to fix any mistakes I find and tell me if you spot any. 

Bucky fell asleep eventually, he slowly slipped into unconsciousness. Maria appeared shortly after so much so Toni wondered if she'd been watching. 

"Miss Stark. We had to rearrange your press conference due to Mr. Barne's late waking. It'll be tomorrow instead, at 8. We have a few options of clothing choice if you'd like to choose."

Toni nodded

They moved Toni into an empty room nearby, causing her to wonder how many rooms they had. This one was mostly gray, the floors white tile and the walls plain. There was a similar window in this one. Maria brought in a rack of clothing.

Toni picked out a pair of black paints a red shirt with no back. She'd seen something similar in the packet they gave her about this year. This age. It was for Bucky but Toni couldn't help but peek. 

"Lovely design." Toni looked up to see a brunette woman standing in the doorway, the voice was vaguely familiar. "I like the shirt" her accent was British probably from London.

"Thanks. You are?" Toni said turning away from the mirror she was provided

"Cecelia Silat" She was wearing a blue pants suit, with a white blouse and heels. "I'm an agent."

Toni nodded seeing the similarities between Cecelia and Maria. "Toni Stark"

"I know. You've been the talk of the office. For months. I was assigned your case in 2014, of course then it was a missing person case that could never be solved due to the fact it'd screw with the time-space continuum. I asked them why we didn't close it and they told me somewhere in time there was a lost little girl who couldn't come home and that's why they weren't closing the case."

Toni turned back to the mirror "And what now? Do you wish you'd closed it? "

"No. Are you nervous?"

"For?" Toni said turned to the mirror

"The press conference. Don't you want to stay...in the dark? I've seen the video tapes, the newspapers, you grew up in the spotlight, are you sure you want back?"

"No. I don't want back." She finally turned back to Cecilia "But I guess I don't have much of a choice."

Cecelia nodded and walked out of the room just as Bucky murmured.

 

"We hope these, packets will help you with understanding this new century." Some young woman said sweetly leaving a box of packets, picture and news clips for Bucky to look through. He'd gotten the whole rundown from Toni, how she'd accidently traveled back when she was young, and why she'd tried to go back when she realized Bucky would die.

He'd had a hard time swallowing the last part, but figured what with all the other crap that's happened to him he should be focusing on getting used to the 21st century. Which is why he'd requested more information about it. 

"This is messed up" Bucky exclaimed after reading a few of them, Toni had gone through the more recent ones trying to bridge together the gap between 1999 and now. 

a blonde woman said "Ms. Stark, it's time. The press is here if you will follow me."

Toni nodded, "Bucky would you please come? You can stand in the back. No one will notice you."

Bucky shrugged, stood up and followed Toni who followed the woman who'd told them to go.

Toni was lead to a bright room, there was a small stage that was the length of the whole room on the shorter side, there were two walls that opened with no door in the middle near the back of the stage. Toni was led behind one of them.

Maria Hill was in the middle of the stage at a podium.

"Hello, I'd like to thank you for coming today. Today we are finally closing a 14-year missing person case."

The reporters buzzed.

"This weekend we have finally located Antonia Stark."

All the reporters stood up talking at once.

"Is it true she time traveled?"

"Had she been kidnapped?"

Toni could see them trying to peek around the stage walls.

"Miss Stark, you should probably go, out on stage."

Toni took a deep breath "Yeah."

Toni slowly walked out, trying not to trip. The reporters went wild.

When she finally got to the podium she said

"Hi, My name is Toni Stark. My father Howard Stark was working on a teleportation device in 1999, I was playing in his workshop and the machine malfunctioned sending me to Vancouver Canada. I hit my head in the transport, giving me temporary amnesia, that went away slowly. Though I'd already been integrated into a new life by the time I remembered everything and thought it was a dream. I was on a road trip to New York with my boyfriend and we got in a car accident. I was sent to the hospital where they made the discovery."

"How can you expect us to believe that?"

"Where were you exactly?"

"Did you ever try to contact your father"

"Do you know James Buchanan Barnes?"

"I'm sorry I can't take questions at this time."

She walked quickly off the stage, 

"You did great," Maria said

"You think that was great? Not a single one of them bought it."

"No one could have convinced them, it was impossible. But could have been worse. You're free to leave. I'll have Agent Silat give you a list of Stark properties, they're all yours now. And you can access any accounts."

"Umm, OK"

The list was made and sent, Toni was given a company car and Bucky appeared shortly after that.

"Apparently, they are completely done with us. They medicated us, gave us to the press and now they're done."

"Perfect."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well they have houses and apartments in nearly every country, and every city in the US."

"We've already seen, Africa and England"

"How about Paris"

"You read my mind"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yes. I understand"

"Then we would be happy to do business with you Mr. Stane"

"Well, I've heard the best about you."

"The Ten Rings group take great pride in its reputation"

 

Ok, so this chapter was short. Thinking I might skip the whole kidnapping scene because you all know what happened, little cliche at this point, and might skip from the very beginning to the very end. You can assume Bucky and Toni are married. Hope you read the last part or you'll be super lost next chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

"July 4, 2013

Jahn Samson

Stark Heir Returns

 

A single reporter from almost all major newspapers was invited by the ominous S.H.I.E.L.D yesterday. They announced a press conference the day earlier, saying they were finally closing a missing person case. Every single reporter was astounded when the presumed dead Antonia Stark walked on stage. She explained she'd been teleported by one of her father's devices, and suffered amnesia. While people are still skeptical and no one has tried to confirm or falsified this story, we're all happy she's home safe, and what this could mean for Stark Industries. It appears former CEO Obadiah Stane is stepping down without a fight. Lastly, all the conspiracy theorist are saying her reappearance proves that she is, in fact, Antonia Stark from the 40s because that woman disappeared when she was 23 but in similar age, though Ms. Stark is only 18."

"July 16, 2013

Will Earn

Stark Activity Fuels Conspiracy Theorists

Every since Antonia Stark appeared in the media, we haven't gotten a single word from the woman. She was reportedly spotted in Paris with a tall man, identified as her boyfriend. This was a curious choice as it only gives more material to theorists who believe she is the missing Antonia Stark. There are no pictures of her boyfriend but some go as far to claim that he is James Barnes. We don't exactly what they're doing there but people are waiting near the memorial site for Antonia Stark and James Barnes, donated by Mrs. Barnes, James's mother to see if they show up. "

 

"August 2, 2013

Charlie Terrence

First Word From Toni Stark

Toni Stark just held her first press conference in the SI headquarters. "I will be taking over SI, as it's my birthright but keeping Obadiah Stane as the secondary CEO because he has done such an amazing job with my company. And if any of you don't believe my story about teleportation or whatever, call me and I'll explain it." This is a quote from the press conference. She is thrusting herself right into the company, it appears, already taking over a downstairs workshop and creating a six-month schedule for products. She, however, untraditionally is steering clear of weapon designs. This is odd considering the Starks are famous for it and as a child she designed weapons for her father. Some in the conference swear to have seen a ring on her, but for now, it's just gossip. Also, she was spotted at the Stark&Barnes memorial with an unidentified man.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is it vain to visit your own memorial?"

"No, I don't think so. Maybe to plan your own, but my mom did that so, I think it's OK."

"Good."

Toni and Bucky put on black sweatshirts and glasses when they went to visit the Stark&Barnes memorial site. There were crowds of people lurking around, looking closely at each other trying to see if the two showed up. The sculpture itself wasn't being paid much attention.

It was based off a sketch that Steve did of them. She remembered the sketch, it was her on a swing, and Bucky pushing her. She doesn't know how Steve even got it because they definitely weren't standing still. On the base of the sculpture was a quote from her. 

"I can't believe anyone even used that quote."

"I like it."

"Of course you do, it's about you. But I'm basically just rambling."

"Where did you get that money anyway? The money for my mom?"

"I had it when I traveled to 1927."

"You had $5000?"

"Yeah. I panicked so I hid it, it didn't match my orphan story. I thought she'd use it to put Angie and Bec through college. Not make us a statue"

"I think she did both. Angie got a degree and so did Becca. I wonder if they're alive."

"We should check."

"What if people question why we're visiting the sisters of James Barnes?"

"Screw'em"

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Who are you?" Toni asks the man who walks into her workshop a few months after her return.

"James Rhodes. I've been assigned to you."

"Assigned to me why?"

"The government likes to keep a close eye on Starks. Your father had a handler and so you get one too. Plus we like first call on the fun toys you make."

"Sorry, won't be making many guns and bombs for you to play with. Don't mean to disappoint but it's just not my speed."

"Why not?"

"I've seen what they do, so I can't."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Toni! C'mon! You've been working all day!"

"How would you know? You just got home?"

Bucky smirks "Because I know you better than you do."

"Fair enough. Shit."

"What?"

"I made a mistake, now I've gotta do the whole damn thing again."

"Why don't you just let it go through, someone else will catch it. Whoever does get a promotion."

"You are a genius."

"Yeah, and apparently you're not! Making mistakes! Who are you and what have you done with Toni!" Bucky taunts

"You ass!" She stands up from her desk chasing him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stane, I'm not interested in making or selling weapons!"

"Trust me, this is the last presentation. It'll mark the end of Stark weapons! But these guys are huge investors and we want to keep them happy. You'll be there and back I swear!"

"Fine, which one is it?"

"The Jericho."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How'd it go?" Stane asks over the chat

"Great, early Christmas for sure."

"Sure you don't want to keep the weapons program?"

"Stane. We talked about this."

"Yeah yeah, well come back soon, your boyfriends probably lonely."

Toni smiles as she closes the chat, she didn't like Stane much but he doesn't seem so bad now. He can keep up a good banter which is major points with her. 

"Rhodes!"

"Yeah, Toni! We're ready for you! Peppers waiting and you're late for like 3 galas! Let's get a move on!"

"Sorry, I gotta take the funded! You have a great time in the humdrum vee!"

Talking to the soldiers was fun, they seemed nice, she couldn't tell them how much she really related to them, but she made sure to get their names and do something nice when she got back to New York. At least she planned to.

"Forrester! Contact Left! Peters stay with Stark!"

Toni's boyfriend was much more than lonely that night.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Hailey Gosslic

November 5, 2013

Stark Found

After being missing for over 3 months the obviously resilient Stark has been found again. She was held captive by the terrorist organization known as Ten Rings and was forced to recreate the last weapon in the SI Weapons line for the organization. It is still unknown how she got out because so rescue was organized or executed and searches were about to halt when a distress James Rhodes and still unidentified SO found her wandering a desert nearby where she'd been captured. It seems she actually got herself out of the captivity."

"Quinn Williams

November 9, 2013

SI Secrets?

Someone close to Toni Stark released she was seriously hurt in her kidnapping, so much she has some sort of machine attached to her heart. She isn't going to attend the upcoming charity event held by SI, and rumors of a stifling disability are rising. The conspiracist is having a field day theorizing exactly what she did to get out of captivity."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You don't believe me?" Toni asked innocently

"No, I do but, I wanted to ask something"

"Ask away"

"Show me your AI first. Really, maybe it could help" James paused. Toni's been talking about this project since 1936. Of course, she proposed it as science fiction at the time. He hadn't brought it up when the first came but, designing it was the first thing Toni wanted to do after she went missing.

"Buck, let me introduce you to JARVIS"

"You named it after your old butler?"

Toni grinned broadly "I didn't think you'd remember! If anyone else asks it stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System"

"You've designed what, 3 robots now? Well, One of which is technically 15 years old and you just rebooted it. But I heard something about SI holding a charity event, maybe we should go?"

"Did we get an invitation?"

"Do we care?"

"No just figuring out if we should be bitchy when we arrive"

Bucky raised his eyebrows

"Who am I kidding, I'm always a little bitchy."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm Valarie Elestic, from VTM on the red chapter of the annual Stark-"

"Ms. Stark! Who are you wearing!"

"Is that your boyfriend? What's his name?"

"Ms. Stark how'd you get out?"

"Excuse me, it appears Toni Stark has arrived! No one expected her to show considering rumors she was crippled and recovering from surgery. I look like she's wearing a long red high neck princess shaped gown. She's been known to favor Scarlett's lately, almost always wearing bright red lipsticks, and usually red tops and dresses. Others have picked up on her statements and choices and red has made a fantastic comeback this season! The man she's with, wearing a tux, and seems to be the unidentified man she appears with often. I presume this to be her longtime boyfriend."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Alaska)

"Aye? Davie c'mere"

"Goddamnit, Oli I can't hold your hand during every dig!"

"But-but I think we hit something!"

"I do too! It's called ICE. Now keep goin' maybe we can get out early"

"Ok Davie"

"Good"

"Davie"

"....WHAT."

"Is that some kinda ship in the ice there? It looks huge! We ought to dig it out."

"Uh oh."

"What's wrong Oli? Sorry, we ain't gonna get out early."

"No, it's not that." Oli walks away and pulls out his flip phone, Davie continues trying to dig out some of the ships.

"Hello? Yes, Mr. Fury. I think we found him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> K, so I'm now completely caught up with the Wattpad version which terrifies me because now I have to write again. The chapter summaries will probably make more sense now, thou. Also if you spot any mistakes please tell me, because I'm the worst editor ever, I might need a beta. Also comments and kudos, make the world go round.
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

"Captain Rogers?"

Steve wasn't awake but he wasn't asleep. He hadn't been asleep for a while.

"Captain Rogers?"

He slowly opened his eyes, the room he was in was white, it looked fairly normal. He saw buildings outside the window, but it didn't sound or smell like the city. The woman who'd been calling his name was still there, she had a nurse uniform but it didn't look right. Something was off.

"Where am I?" He asked the woman.

"You're in New York City, Captain"

He numbly noticed she was holding something behind her back, and there was a radio playing a game in the background. A very familiar game.

"I was at that game."

"Excuse me, Captain?"

"I said, that I went to the game. The one on the radio, so where am I."

She smiled and nervously bit her lip "Captain..."

He didn't wait another moment, before running out the door. He only took a second to notice that the room had been some sort of set, and he was in a warehouse.

He found the exit easily enough and the sun felt strange on his face as he ran out the door.

"Hey!"

He turned to look at a woman he'd accidently run into in his escape.

She had very long red hair, it went to the small of her back, she had a gray shirt that said "Hard Rock Cafe" and wasn't wearing jeans but some black leggings instead.

He took a double take but continued to run. Finally, he was in the middle of a street surrounded by black cars.

"Captain."

He turned to see a tall, bald black guy in a long leather jacket and eye patch. What exactly was going on here, and why was everyone dressed so weird he thought.

"Where am I?" he asked him

"You're in New York City, you've been asleep a long time Captain, 70 years."

He swallowed hard. It made sense, he'd been plunged into ice more than water, and with his healing factor and just general serum immunity, he probably could have survived even longer in ice.

Leaving the street had been fairly awkward, crowds started to gather and someone must have recognized him.

"Get the civilians off the streets." the man in the leather coat, who's since introduced himself as Nick Fury.

They both got in the car and Steve could tell his little run had cause Fury's people some trouble.

The agents already in the car glanced at Steve and went back to furiously typing away at their...computers? I mean Steve assumed they were computed and they look somewhat like Howard's designs, for new ones. But still.

Steve sat awkwardly for a few minutes before the car started to move finally.

"Captain Rogers?" Fury spoke finally, after sifting through what looked like a huge stack of papers the man looked at Steve

"Steve please," he said sheepishly, looking down at his hands

"We're going to have to give you somewhat of a crash course in the 21st century."

Steve looks up expectantly, and the car stops.

He and Nick got out and walk a long, gray sidewalk to a door that sent them into an even longer hallway.

Finally, they got to what he imagined was a boardroom, it was full of even more files just like the one Fury had in his hand. Sure enough, Fury placed the file on a pile and said: "These files are for everyone you knew in 1940, it's what happened to them after the war, we have filed for Peggy Carter, The Howling Commandos."

Steve cringed inwardly, he hadn't ever even gotten the chance to tell his best friends about Peggy. He didn't know what he'd say anyway but he wished he'd said something.

"Where did you find Bucky and Toni?" Steve said cautiously

"That's slightly more complicated, we technically never recovered, Stark or Barnes."

"Not even their bodies?" Steve asked concerned

"That's where it gets complicated. First I have to show you Howard Stark's file."

Steve was getting impatient, he didn't really care about Howard's file at the moment.

"Can't you just explain?"

Fury didn't answer him and instead pulled out the manila folder and plopped it open without a word. Inside he scanned it trying to figure out why Nick was so adamant on showing him the file.

He muttered as he read "Married Maria Stark in 1961, had a daughter named Antonia, died in a crash in 2008...had a daughter named Antonia? Antonia Stark" he looked up at Fury who's lips were pressed together in a thin line "Why would Howard name his daughter Antonia?" From what Steve knew Toni and Howard weren't close except they respected each other's genius. In fact, Toni didn't even like Howard.

"In 1999, Howard perfected a device that could break the space-time continuum, it was a time traveling device." He looked at Steve expectantly as though hoping he'd get it. "His daughter Antonia was playing in his workshop and came across the device, for some reason that Howard wouldn't say, she got inside and it was accidently activated."

Steve inhaled deeply, slowly understand what he was getting at. He wasn't being stupid, he just didn't want to admit what Fury was explaining.

"Up until, 9 months ago, this was the last photo taken of Antonia" He placed a small square picture, it was a girl with brown hair, in shorts and a t-shirt. She looked exactly like Toni did they day he first met her. 

"And this" He placed another photo on the table "Is the the last picture taken of Toni Stark, Howling Comando, in 1945" He remembered the picture, some reporter was saying Toni should be a model after the war and she'd said something snarky, behind the camera Bucky and Steve were laughing but the picture only caught Toni looking at them, smiling broadly.

"And finally, this is one of the pictures of the miraculously recovered, Antonia Stark, found only months ago."

The final picture was Toni holding hands with someone off camera, she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt that read "ACDC". 

"So, Toni time travel to 1927 when she was 8 and time traveled back in 1945?"

Fury blinked "Yes."

Steve guessed he thought Steve would be more surprised, outraged. But Steve understood. If Toni had said she was from the future, she would have been sent to an asylum.

"Where is she?"

"Her company, Stark Industries. Since she's taken over there have been some...changes. Not everyone's happy with."

Steve, slowly exhaled, realizing he was still holding his breath "Am I good to leave?"

"As long as you make sure your jogs stay out of a busy Manhatten Street? Yes."

Steve smiled, and nodded, 

"Captain, one more thing."

Steve turned not sure what to expect him to say

"It seems your friend, James also made the trip with Antonia by accident."

Steve felt his heart rise, he had all his friends back! Just when he thought he was truly alone.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello? I'm here to see Ms. Stark?"

"Do you have an appointment?"

Steve bit his lip and resisted the urge to say 'yes, and you'll have to excuse the fact I'm 70 years late for it.' He instead opted for "No, but tell Toni that Steve's here."

The secretary cringed and looked up "I'm sorry sir, Ms. Stark doesn't see anyone without an appointment. I can make one for you." 

Steve sighed,

"The wait is 3 years, 2 months and 17 days."

Steve smiled, realizing the secretary whose nametag read 'Natalie', wasn't going to be any help

"Nevermind, thank you, though"

She smiled, too hard and flipped her red hair.

He headed to the door, deciding to go back to SHIELD and have them contact her when he heard a strangled "Steve?"

He turned and saw one of his best friends, Bucky standing in the lobby, carrying a bag that said "Dominos".

He smiled and walked towards, him. Bucky set down the bag and pulled him into a bearhug.

"What the hell?" Bucky said finally "How the hell are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, know."

Bucky grinned, "Tones gonna shit herself when she sees you."

Bucky walked up to the same desk and Natalie looked up and smiled at Bucky "Hey Nat, you coming back up soon?"

"Soon, as Patrice has her baby. Remind me to never volunteer for this again."

Bucky grinned back and went passed the desk.

"She just lets you in?"

"Well, I am married to the CEO"

"Married?"

"Oh yeah!" Bucky holds his right hand up and sure enough, there was a silver ring on his finger. 

"Get to Paris?"

"Couldn't there was already a monument for us there." Bucky grins at Steve's raised eyebrows 

"You might have a few monuments, here or there too," Bucky admits looking down at his feet "but Toni's got a school named after her in Arkansaw, there's a Romeo&Juilet play that high schools can perform, 'Stark & Barnes' style they call it, and we have a monument in Paris, in the park we wanted to get married in."

"Wow," is all Steve can say, 

The end of the hallway leads to an elevator, they get in and stand silently just looking at each other every so often and smiling. The elevator opens,

"Buck? Is that you? Did you get the food?" he hears a familiar voice 

"Toni. You didn't order Dominos again did you? We have so much leftover food right here! It's just wasteful!" another voice calls out, it didn't really seem annoyed just exasperated.

"Pep, Toni play nice. I found some hippy in the lobby and brought him up."

"You better be talking about Nat or kidding!" Toni says in a singsong voice.

Bucky grins and motions Steve to follow him down the hallway where the voices were coming from.

Toni was standing next to a table full of maps and schematics, she seemed to be very focused on it because she didn't look up. They stood there for a moment before Steve said "Toni?"

Her eyebrow crinkled, she looked up and saw Steve there 

"What. The. Fuck?"

She slowly walks past the table to Steve and hugs him tightly.

"Toni? Who's this?" there was a redhead who'd probably just walked in from the door at the other side of the room. 

Steve looked at Bucky for a moment, then Toni 

"S'ok, I told Pep."

"Told Pep what?" The woman in question repeats, looking between Steve, Bucky, and Toni for a moment "Holy crap!" Her eye lights up as she gets it, Toni must have explained the time traveling to her. "Captain Rogers?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So in the past, what 8-9 months you've been here you've shut down the weapons department created, Artifical Intelligence, and started working on the next great super computer. Wow, you're making me feel bad for taking a nap!"

"A nap that saved the world!" Toni adds, between bits of pizza.

"So Bucky what've you been doing? Embracing the life of a mansion-wife?"

Toni snickers and poked Bucky "Tell him!"

Pepper rolls her eyes "I think it's good!"

Steve now has to know what Bucky's been doing, "C'mon! Bucky! It can't be that bad!"

Bucky sighs "Well, at first SHIELD was really good at keeping me out of pictures, but they also said I couldn't join any branch of the Army, Navy, Air Force etc. So I kinda relaxed, learned all about the 21st century, went to a museum, saw some art shows. But then people saw me and somehow pieced together I was Toni's boyfriend. I've been getting calls from modeling agencies for 4 months."

Steve almost choked on his pizza "You're a model?"

Bucky sighs "Not yet." he grabs another slice as the others try and stop laughing "Do you know how much they pay? And it's not like I have anything better to do. Well, till you showed up."

Steve's laughter dies down, and he smiled at his friend "I think, you'll be a fabulous model."

"Thanks."

"I can't wait for people to spot you with us, Stevie." Toni says, crossing her legs on the couch "If the conspiracy-time traveling-aliens control the government-9/11 was an inside job- stories about us now aren't bad enough."

Steve's eyebrows knot "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm guessing Fury explained it to you with pictures of Toni Stark and Antonia Stark right? Well, he's not the only one with those pictures, and it doesn't take a lot to show someone we're not only identical but have been since age 8, have the same name and theoretically, and have access to a time traveling machine. Well, more likely access than most people."

"Why don't you just say, 'yeah that's me?' I mean it's not your fault you time travel."

Toni looks down for a moment, "When it happened I was kind of shell-shocked, and I just repeated what Fury told me. I guess I can't go back now."

"Why not?"

Toni looked at him incredulously "Well, I mean it labels me a liar or someone who could be easily convinced to repeat random crap. I can't say SHIELD pressured me, that's not really true, but I can't just go "Psych!" I actually am Toni Stark from the 1940's!"

"How about you say, when I came out of the ice, I convinced you, to do it? I mean that much is true. And you could make it a scholarship thing. A contest where you choose some report to give an 'exclusive' to?"

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek "70 years later and you still got it, Rogers."

"And I don't look a day over 100?"

"Not a day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Toni announces a whole lot of shit to the press, weddings are mentioned, Peter Parker gets mentions for the first time(possibly not the last,), Steve wants to draw, and Daniella needs a raise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fixed the format! yay.
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

"Friday Weston 

March 13, 2018

Mysterious Stark Conference.

This weekend, Tony Stark has called another conference, with little explanation. This is just after Steve Rogers himself was recovered alive from the Arctic Sea, only a few weeks ago. Rogers was spotted with Stark, and her unidentified boyfriend a few times since."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The reporters, for the first time in a long time, seemed to be the least of Toni's problems. She was at ends with SHIELD, as they made their final attempted to convince her not to reveal her identity.

"Ms. Stark, I'm not sure if you understand how the public will respond if you-"

"When I tell them, I'm sure there'll be lots of upset, but like you said, it'll die down. Some starlet will go to rehab, Taylor Swift will get a new boyfriend, and I'll be old news."

"I'm pretty sure time travel won't be old news, anytime soon."

"Well, then I guess I'll deal with that too. I'm telling."

Toni stood up "Now Mr. Fury if that's all, you can stay for the conference, or leave." She gave him a sweet smile, as he stood up.

"I'll go, thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, it was my pleasure."

He walked out of her living room, and she watched him go, noting to herself, to check any couch table or mug he touched for bugs. She didn't trust him after he planted an agent as a PA. Well, Natalie...I mean, Natasha did save her life, when she was dying of poison, but she also informed SHIELD, she was going to give up her identity as Tony Stark from the 40s but also as Ironman.

She found 9, bugs in total in her first sweep, and left a note, for her maid Daniella to check for more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Toni, it's time, the reporters are getting antsy." Pepper, has been looking for Toni for half an hour. She hated when she used JARVIS to play a cruel version of hide and seek with her.

"How? How do you find me? I literally have someone watching where you are all the time."

Pepper smiled "He's easily swayable."

"Traitor."

"I do not apologize for not keeping you hidden, Miss."

"Sassy traitor."

Toni stood up, she'd decided to wear a classic, black dress, red heels, her hair in some intricate braid she'd had someone do, and bright red lipstick.

She followed Pepper down the hallway. "Was it a terrible idea to invite reporters into my house?"

"Yes," Pepper said, "In fact, I warned you against it."

"Where's Bucky?"

"Keeping your guest's company."

"Oh joy.

"When I asked him, he said the same thing."

Pepper, opened the glass door, so quietly no even noticed they'd walked in.

Bucky was at the front of the room, he was surrounded by reporters, who though were all on couches, looked ready to pounce.

"So, what is your full name? You were never identified."

"Umm, this isn't really about me." He said, poorly avoiding the question

"Have you seen reports, and evidence you bear a striking resemblance to the late Sgt. James "Bucky" Barnes?"

Bucky paled more than Toni thought possible. She saved him, by clearing her throat, they all turned to her, and for a moment they were absolutely silent.

"Ms. Stark, what do you say to time travel conspiracy theories?"

"Toni, what is the scholarship contest about?"

She smiled, and looks at them like a teacher would to students, her face saying "I'll wait."

They quieted down "The scholarship contest, was won by a New Yorker to my delight, a young high school reporter named Peter Parker, but that's beside the point because I've already given him an exclusive that's will be published a few minutes from now. I've decided to tell you guys too, to make sure everybody knows."

They look at each other wondering what on earth she could be talking about. She walks through the crowd to Bucky and says "My name is not Antonia Stark."

Now a normal group of reporters would start yelling again, asking questions, but this one was so struck and curious they remained quiet. "My name is Antonia Stark Barnes. And this is my husband James."

The quiet somehow managed to stand

"And also I'm Ironman"

Now, they started yelling again, asking questions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somehow she manages to quiet the again, to tell the rest of the story.

"You got most of the truth in the first press conference, I was instead transported to 1927 by my dad's invention. I met Bucky and Steve, became fast friends. etc etc. But in my timeline, Bucky fell off a train, and as much as I tried to stop it, I couldn't so I tried to steal Howard's time traveling device, he caught me and made me tell him who I was. After that, I got in, and Bucky hitched a ride. SHIELD covered for me, and I was prepared to stay Toni Stark forever, but then Steve showed and I had to come clean."

Toni answered a few more questions, then thanked the reporters for coming and showing them out, she then asked Daniella to check for bugs.

"So, we probably shouldn't go on social media anytime soon, correct" Bucky says as the final reporter leaves

Pepper sighed, "#Time travel IsRael, #ToniConfession, #Toni Ironman, and #Stark Barnes is already trending."

Bucky laughs "I have a hashtag?"

"We share a hashtag" Toni points out.

"Steve's with Parker making sure the article went through, but it's already gone, so he'll be here soon." Pepper says, setting down her clipboard "Y'know, you two could have your wedding now."

"We're already married" Bucky points out

"Yeah, but you didn't get to tell anyone. You didn't know me or Rhodey, and Steve was on the ice. You know all three of your sisters had kids, James. And they had kids."

"Yeah, immigrants tended to have lots of kids."

"You were an immigrant?" Pepper sits up "I didn't know that and it wasn't in any books."

"Yeah, they figured, they already had a Chinese guy and a French guy, they had their diversity quota filled."

"Where were you from?

"Romania"(AN: Lies, but I had to put that in there coz it's so cute.)

Pepper was about to ask more when Steve walks in

"What about Romania," he says

"Just talking about how Pepper think me and Toni should have another wedding, cause when we got married, everyone we knew was supposedly dead, and we couldn't contact any of my family because that'd raise suspicion. 

"You definitely should, I've been waiting for this wedding for more than 70 years! Since we were 13!"

Bucky rolls his eyes.

“He secretly wanted to be the flower girl.” Toni fake-whispered to Pepper

Steve only smiles, the artist in him wanting to make everyone stand still, so he could capture the moment. Pepper laughing to Toni, about to make her own sarcastic comment, Bucky watching them, smiling as the corners of his mouth slwly formed laugh lines, after years of repeated use. 

“Rogers, take a picture, it’ll last longer” Rhodes snaps, with a grin as he walks in joining the group.

“Rhodey!” Toni grins, giving him a hug, “How was your trip?”

“Fabulous, I just adore convincing people not to arrest you!”

“And all the agencies, agreed not to make Toni come in for questioning about, the whole...trip?”

“Yup, you’re free.”

“We were just planning a wedding when you walked in.” Pepper says cleverly steering the conversation back.

“I’m telling you! I’ve already had my French Wedding, I’m all good.” Toni sighs,

“But, none of us really knew you back then” Rhodey whines.

“It was nice, and small and sweet, and there is nothing left.”

“Whatever you say.”

“You’re impossible” she pauses “And I hate you.”

“Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

Toni's wedding plans were interrupted by aliens. Go figure. 

Nick Fury came to Toni and Bucky and then Steve separately, Steve was much more distressed by being plopped in the 21st century since Toni was technically from there and Bucky had Toni. So it really wasn't fair when Fury offered Steve something to do. Of course, he'd jump at the chance.

Bucky wanted to help too, and Toni figured what the hell. 

Steve went to Germany before Toni, Bucky stayed on the helicarrier. 

Toni knew Loki went down too easily, she felt it in her gut. However, she didn't voice her concern. The god of thunder fought hard. She got hurt.

Steve was mad at her for some reason, he didn't like the way she acted. He like more reserved cautious 40s Toni, because while she was a spitfire there, she still had to respect societies rule.

They made up when Toni went into outer space and died almost. Bucky said he didn't want to do anymore superheroing for a bit, but then SHIELD crashed and once again their wedding plans went wrong. She saw Steve and Nat on the run together and couldn't help but have her skin crawl as she saw Steve helping the woman who infiltrated her life. Also, there were at least two robotic Russian assassins on the loose, and they looked vaguely familiar.

Steve didn't call when the world thought she'd died. 

He didn't understand her reasoning behind Ultron, he didn't know exactly why she'd made it. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell anyone. 

Bucky joined SHIELD, he started as a Level 7, which he hated because everyone thought he hadn't earned his Level. 

She realized why they were familiar, they looked just like her and Bucky. So similar, or identical it fooled her best friend into thinking they bombed the signing of the Sokovia Accords. He didn't want to be associated with violent terrorists, which didn't make sense because Bucky and she supported the Accords, why would they bomb it.They went into hiding anyways, though they obviously hadn't done it. Duh. But, she had a TV in the underground bunker they'd built and everyone cheered when Captain America killed his two old friends selflessly because they were traitors. 

She wonders if he knew it was them, and that's why he killed them. She hopes that's it.

The world thought she was dead again, she realized it was the 5th time. 

She comes out of hiding, to see Steve. 

"Steve."

The tall blonde man she thought she recognized turned around slowly, "Toni."

She was expecting some big, 'You're not dead?' or any kind of explanation to help move along the conversation. "Hi."

"Hi."

"How's Bucky?"

"Dead. Just like you wanted him." She says coldly, remembering how someone found the bunker and shot him in the head.

His breath hitched, "I see."

She paused a moment, she wasn't sure who'd found the bunker, they had no logo or symbol on their black outfits. She'd assumed, SHIELD or HYDRA.

"I was expecting you to at least be surprised, considering you killed me 6 months ago."

"They told me they were clones of some sort, it was all a HYDRA experiment."

"When?" She said staring him in the eyes, her coldness making up for her lack of size.

"What?" He said, making her unsure if he was being stupid or really didn't get it.

"Did you find out it wasn't us before or after you stabbed the woman who looked identical to me and broke the man who looked just like Bucky's neck."

"Do you want to know?" He said, answering her question.

She breathed out, not realizing she'd been holding her breath "I guess I know now. "

He looked away finally for the first time showing remorse for what he'd done "They said we shouldn't tell anyone. That's you'd be an example to people who want to bring back something like the Accords"

"Do you know why I made Ultron?"

He looked at her again, he must have assumed she'd been bored, found some scraps and pieced together a machine that killed thousands, without thinking.

"You didn't have a reason, you thought it could protect Earth I guess." He said, with more venom in his voice, apologetic tone disappeared.

"I was 3 months pregnant, when I miscarried, due to complications, because my body has been dragged between times, starved, poisoned, choked and drowned. I couldn't carry a baby for 9 months because I'm so screwed up."

His face softened slightly, she continued to ignore it "So I thought, maybe if there had been something else to stop the things I had to fight, I wouldn't..have."

"And here I am, 4 months pregnant again, waiting for the baby to die. I'm a widow, and I can't live anywhere because I'm dead. Because Captain America killed me."

He stares at her. "Toni. I don't know how to help you."

"You can't. The best you could do was go back in time and choose a different alley to get beat up in because this time I'm the one getting pummeled into the pavement and you're not unable to help me, you just won't."

He watched her turn around and walk out of the room. That was the last time anyone ever saw Antonia Edith Stark Barnes. 

 

 

(5 months later)

"Dr. Verak, there's no way we'll be able to save the mother, the baby could live, though, you need to make a choice."

He looked at the mom, who was in labor, painfully. 

She looked him in the eye and said: "Save the baby, I'm already dead."

He nodded, mothers choose their children, that's their nature she grabbed his hand as he walked away, " Her name is Nadine James Barnes."

He nodded, the name familiar but he had more important things to worry about like delivering a baby.

The mother died after 27 hours of labor, the girl was born fairly healthy considering. He signed her birth certificate. Set her up in the nursery. Went to check the records to find any family he could give the baby to. The record was completely clear.

So he sent her to a nearby group home, till they tracked down the girls family.

Dr. Verak was murdered 13 hours later. No one ever went to retrieve Nadine.

 

 

(18 years after that-It's very confusing.)

Steve was sitting at home, the paper on the table in front of him. He was content. 

"Excuse me, are you Steve Rogers?"

Most people forgot about the Avengers and Captain America by now, he was suprised as few came looking for him. "Yes," he replied.

"Good, I think you knew my parents?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


	13. (Extra/Alternate) Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After re-reading chapter 12 and seeing the comments I realized how downright depressing the other ending was, so I'm rewriting it. You can accept either, neither of both! I'm writing this on Easter no idea when I'll post it but Happy Easter anyways. Byee, the real chapter summary will be at the end. Also CHEESINESS WARNING!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!

"Antonia Stark, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" 

Toni's smile broadens, "I do."

She'd never felt happier than on her wedding day, in a long trailing white dress, her hair grown out and flowing its natural highlights in full effect. She had probably her most simplistic makeup job since her return to 2017 with the exception of bright red lips.

She'd bee through a lot to get here too, first almost dying while fighting next to her true love, best friend, least favorite person, and a few others against aliens and the confused adoptive brother of Thor, one of those other people(aliens) on her team.

Don't even mention the Hydra Clones they had to take care of. Apparently, Hydra got DNA samples of them while they were imprisoned in the 40s, and started "Клон проекта" which roughly translates to "Project Clone" in English. They created clones of the two of them and sent them to assassinate people for about 72 years before they started getting recognized as us, and then the real fun started.

Steve thought the two of them were the killers and confronted them, thankfully as he was confronting us the clone assassins showed to kill all of us and it wasn't that hard to figure out we weren't brainwashed killers. Though to be honest, still hurt he didn't just ASSUME we weren't brainwashed killers, but you know "Assuming makes an ass of you and me."

Then to protect herself and her family from whatever was coming next, and she knew something was coming next because when is it not, she created a monster. She couldn't live with herself, but the man she was currently marrying helped her through it in ways she didn't even know.

Then, the Sokovia Accords ripped her little family of her best friend and soul mate and her apart, ripping them down the middle.

She never thought she'd really forgive Natasha for not only spying on her, revealing what she was going to reveal, telling Pepper she didn't tell Pepper she was dying (THAT was a conversation, she wish she'd been able to skip) but, she ended up doing so when the spy took her side in the Accords, probably trying to get her own sins forgiven. She was hurt once again when Steve was public opposed to her and felt that he kept losing faith in her, like thinking she was a secret assassin was just the beginning. They were good now though. Mostly. I mean he was at her wedding, in the front row. That was controversial. 

Her eyes returned to her gorgeous husband, and for some reason, she held her breath as the priest repeated the question to him. Even though she knew he'd love her forever. 

"Obadiah Stane, do you take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife?"

Toni's eyes widened, as she shook awake. 

"Tones? Are you alright?"

She carefully turned around and saw Bucky laying in bed with her, her breath slowed and she managed to get a few words out, "Bad. Dream."

"Tell me about it," he said softly as he pulled the covers over them, and propped his head on the pillow, 

"It was our wedding day."

"Jeez, I didn't realize our wedding was such a nightmare."

She lightly punched him, "No, it's just that everything was the same, the priest was saying "Do you take this man and woman and all that crap, and I was monologuing everything that had happened in the past 8 years in the third person." she paused to take a breath and glanced at Bucky who was giving her a incredulous look, but nonetheless motioned for her to continue "No, carry on it sounds completely normal and healthy"

"But I looked up and it wasn't you I was marrying, it was Obie!"

His brow crinkled "Ok, that sounds like a pretty fair nightmare."

She nodded frantically, and suddenly she heard the cries of a child and turned to see the monitor was where the sound was coming from, 

"Crap, Stevie's up," Bucky said pulling the covers off himself "If I don't hurry she'll wake Nadine."

She began to follow him when he motioned for her to stop "I can't as a 40's gentleman, allow my pregnant wife to lose any sleep. You should know this, you married me, or at least I think you did..."

She threw a pillow at him, and a second child began to cry, "Karma" she said mischievously

He sighed "Why did we decide to have twins again?"

"I don't think we had much say in the matter unless you know something I don't."

He smiled and walked out of the room only to return a few minutes later with a toddler on both hips.

"Nooo! You were supposed to put them back to sleep! Not make me lose sleep! Remember pregnant wife!" she pointed at the medium sized bump.

"They'll be getting up in half an hour anyway and they wanted to say hi to mommy and little brother."

"Sister" Toni corrected

"You don't know that"

"Well, I was right last time."

"I still think you had a secret ultrasound, I mean who predicts the gender and twins?"

"Well, this time I think it'll be a single girl."

"Well, I'm rooting for a boy."

"It's mothers intuition."

He plops Nadine and Stevie on the bed and hands them small toys to fiddle with while they sit on his and her laps.

"So any name ideas?" he starts

"Well, if it's a girl I'm thinking Winnifred after your mom and we could call her Winnie or Freddie or Rebbeca after your sister. And in the slight chance, I'm wrong, and it's a boy maybe Timothy after Dum Dum."

"Well, if it was a boy I thought I liked Jonas or Tom or Chris and for a girl, I thought Lily or Dana."

She looked at him and he shrugged "Not after anyone in particular, I just like those names."

She sighed, "Real sentimental huh Barnes?"

"I hate you."

"Love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, got you right? So it opens on Toni's wedding day(kinda) and she tells everything that happened in the past 8ish years if a very similar manner to the last chapter and alternate ending but ends a tad happier. She then notices she's marrying Obadiah Stane. She literally wakes up from that nightmare and recounts her story to Bucky, who jokes with the and ends up waking one of their daughters who then wakes up her twin. Bucky refuses to let a pregnant Toni get out of bed to soothe their kids and brings them to her. They then discuss baby names for their impending addition who they don't know the gender or quantity of. Then they rather cheesily, in my opinion, repeat the trademark quote "I hate you...I love you too."
> 
> I'd like to thank my friend Riley who refuses to get an account but made this story 10x better by reading in its entirety in an Italian accent. I'll try to record it and post a podfic next time. I'd also like to thank my dad for being interested in this and trying to make me awkwardly explain it's plot and genderbending. I'm most proud of this story by a long shot and want to thank everyone who commented because it made my day completely.
> 
> If anyone wouldn’t mind being my beta, I’d be eternally grateful. All it means is reading my fics before I publish them and telling me if their shit, or I spelled ‘because’ wrong again. If you’d like volunteer in the comments section!


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